Time's Song
by Marchonea
Summary: It's said you never know what you have until you lose it... What if you never knew what you'd lost until you found it again? The timey-wimey tale of Eyphah, a young orphan who's past is as unpredictable as her future. When the Doctor hops into her life, secrets long since locked away come back to life - literally. If you thought the Vashta Nerada ruled the dark, think again...
1. Prologue: The Rain

_Hello~ This is my first ever story on this site. In fact, it's the first story I've ever written to get past Chapter 2! Hope you like it! First few chapters are a little slow, but things will quickly heat up. Please review!_

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**Prologue: The Rain**

The sky outside was dark and heavy. The clouds were thick, bulging with rainwater even as their cargo splashed against the windowpane in a seemingly endless torrent. Looking out at the dreary world through the warped glass sat a girl of no more than 10 years. Bright ginger hair flopped into her right eye, running slightly wavy to just past her shoulders and green eyes shone from a pale, thin face. The only colours in a very grey world.

She sat curled up on a stone window seat, a worn blanket thrown over herself as some form of protection against the draft that rattled the ancient panes of glass that the Orphanage had never had replaced. Her knees were tucked up to her chin, her hands rammed into her socks in order to keep both them and her feet relatively warm. Simple clothes - navy sweatpants and a simple off-white t-shirt beneath a navy hoody, all emblazoned with the Orphanage insignia - were all that protected her from the freezing temperature present within the building all year round. The threadbare blanket she had now was just to stop the wind that whistled through the window from irritating her rather than for warmth.

The girl wiggled her fingers in her socks. Although they were black, and plain as could be, they were special to her. They had been a gift - a rare and treasured thing for the Orphanage children. Smiling as she felt the soft knitted wool, the little girl gazed out at her grey reality. She allowed her eyes to drift down the windowpane, and the smile vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

Without a word, the bright haired ten-year-old got to her feet. She rolled up the blanket and slipped her feet into plain white gym shoes as she retreated to her dorm without a sound, glancing back often at the grey sky she had left behind.


	2. Chapter 1: The Stranger

_Hiya~ Glad to see some people are actually reading this! Things will get more interesting, I promise! Also, if you hadn't noticed, I have edited the Prologue since I originally uploaded it, so please re-read it if you haven't already. Generally I'll submit a new chapter each time I finish the next one, so gaps between uploads may vary. It also depends whether I have access to my laptop or not, since I write this on my iPod. Anyway, enjoy!  
Please review!_

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**Chapter 1: The Stranger**

A large bang shook the housekeeper awake. It took several more loud noises for her to realise that someone was knocking on the door. Hurriedly brushing off her smock, the rounded, middle-aged lady went to open the front door to let whoever it was in.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming! Give a lady half a chance!" She cried as she tottered down the hall. Pausing but briefly to check she looked presentable in the hall mirror, she opened the door enough to peer outside.

A man stood on the doorstep, soaking wet. He wore dark clothes and a top hat with a brim large enough to effectively block out the entirety if his face.

Without a word, the housekeeper beckoned him into the house. Without the slightest whisper of a sound he followed her, the door clicking faintly closed behind him. The faint sound echoed loudly in the silence of his wake.

The strange man and the housekeeper progressed into the back of the house, unaware of a second silent being. Above them, the ginger haired girl was lying stretched out on the grey blanket, her ear pressed to a gap in the floorboards. She listened carefully, making notes in a worn book with a stubby pencil.

"...you're sure she doesn't know?" The stranger's voice was gravelly and dark, unidentifiable. "Absolutely" that was the housekeeper. "The only hint we can see is her-" "What about it?" The man cut across the housekeeper angrily. He clearly knew what she was talking about.

"She's so possessive of it. Whenever we try to take it from her, she seems to slip right through our fingers, almost as if she knows what we int-"

The voices stopped and the girl bit her lip. As she was writing, the worn golden chain she wore around her neck had moved slightly, allowing a small pocket watch to fall out from beneath her hoody. The clink of metal on wood, however faint, had alerted the two to her presence, she knew.

Moments later, she heard them rushing up the stairs. She rammed the notebook away, turning to face the door as they barged in. She stood proud as they leered over her, the small watch swinging wildly in response to her abrupt halt.

"Well what have we got here then, hmm?" The housekeeper hissed. "Looks like someone has been listening in. We can't have that..." The stranger said nothing at all, but raised a fist. On one finger was a ring with a stone so dark light itself seemed to be sucked into it. The stone filled the girl's every sense, racing through her mind. Locating her most recent memories, the stranger began to erase all that she had heard.

She fought against him, attempting to grasp her memories even as they were ripped from her head. She backed up into the wall behind her, trying to get away from the dark orb consuming her mind.

Realising there was nowhere she could go to, the girl stood tall, desperate to seem brave despite her trembling. Crossing the space between them, the stranger presses the disturbing stone to her forehead. For a moment, fear covered her young face as recognition sparked in her eyes. Then there was nothing. She fell unconscious to the floor.

"We're going to have to do something about this," the housekeeper said softly, "if she keeps remembering, we'll have to bring forward the plan." But the strange man wasn't listening.

The ring on his finger was now a simple lump of onyx rather than a whirling dark vortex as he stepped over the little girl's slouched body. Slowly he reached out, picking up the small journal she had been writing in earlier. "Can't let her keep that..." He said quietly, voice grating like sandpaper over rough stone. He stepped back over the girl and turned to the housekeeper. "Come." He said simply.

However, the housekeeper strode past him and picked the girl up. As if she weighed nothing, the woman then placed the girl down on her bead. "So she doesn't get suspicious." She said coldly. Then she turned and marched out of the door, the man close behind.

Minutes later, a loud bang of the front door snapping closed announced the strange man's departure. There was the sound of muffled voices in the main hallway as the housekeeper discussed proceedings with the Orphanage mistress. And all the while, a small ten year old with bright ginger hair lay sleeping on her grey bed, dreaming of the stars...


	3. Chapter 2: Tick Tock

_Hey again! So, another chapter already! I wrote 3 chapters yesterday, so the next chapter is coming up today too! How Awesome, eh?! This kinda feels like a warm-up chapter before things start to get going. Oh, and if you were wandering what the ginger's name is - she does have one, I'm just not gonna tell you what it is yet. I'm evil like that. It gets a bit more Whovian very soon. And thank you so much bitbyacullen for reviewing! MEGA-CUDDLE! Enjoy~_

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**Chapter 2: Tick Tock**  
_~3 Years Later~  
_

The teenager looked out across the city before her. She sat, once again, curled up by the top window in the Orphanage. She gazed out across the expanse of grey before her, twirling a golden pocket watch attached to a chain round her neck.

She had had it for as long as she could remember. It was the only link she had to her parents, whoever they were. She would never admit it to anyone, but sometimes she felt like she could hear her parents' voices calling to her from inside the watch, telling her to open it. And she had tried to, many a time, but it refused to open, ticking softly to itself as it stayed closed to the world.

Letting the chain swing, the 13 year-old simply sat and stared out of the ancient glass. Shifting her focus, she saw her own reflection in the old bent pane. She was small, no denying that. Her figure could be perceived as being slightly under-developed for her age group. Her nose was too big, her chin too pronounced. Her favourite features were her bright green eyes and her hair. A deep reddish ginger, her hair went to just past her shoulders and flopped into her right eye. A tiny smile flickered across her face - some things never change.

Her gaze returned to the outside world. So absorbed was she in taking in the grey view that she didn't see the housekeeper until she was right behind her. The bright haired teen whirled around to face the older woman. "Come, they're waiting." The housekeeper spoke without emotion.

The teen's movements were lithe as she rose and proceeded down the stairs. Reaching the main hallway, she turned and entered a dingy lounge. On one of the old green sofas sat a young duo with their backs turned to her. On the other sat the Orphanage mistress and an oddly familiar man. The housekeeper prodded the teen forwards into the centre of the room, where she stood with her arms folded. The duo on the first sofa looked her over appraisingly. "Too old." The woman announced firmly. The mistress nodded stiffly and the ginger made to depart. Only to be stopped by the housekeeper. Turning back, the odd man rose and crossed over to the girl. Taking her arm, he led them both from the lounge and into the equally dingy library on the other side of the building.

There was a soft click as he locked the library door behind them. The ginger glanced around worriedly - alone in a locked room with a strange man could never be good as far as she was aware. She spoke first. "Who are you?" Her voice was muffled by the close space, but rang with a clear British accent nevertheless. He looked down at her, his dark eyes betraying nothing. She stood her ground, refusing to be cowed by his coldness. A single dark eyebrow rose up on the pale face and he said "Sit."

Without meaning to, she sat on an old wooden chair. Moving in front of her, the man spoke haltingly, as if English were not his mother tongue. "Just a check, yes, to see all is proceeding right." Her own eyebrow twitched this time as he faced her. Raising his left fist to her eye level, the girl saw a dark ring on his finger. The darkness slowly seeped out of the stone and into her mind, sifting through her memories as though searching for something.

As he approached her thoughts of the pocket watch, the girl was struck by a sudden urge to hide what she thought she heard. Without thinking, she drew down a mental barrier, locking the watch out of his grasp. The darkness hit the wall of thought and the man hissed as if in pain. He quickly finished scouring her mind and the darkness withdrew back into the stone.

As the last cold tendrils left her, the girl slumped in her chair. She was exhausted and her hair was plastered across her face with sweat. The man rose silently and left the library without a word, the door standing open after he had departed. The teen took her leave and went upstairs.

By the time she had washed the sweat out of her hair, her memory of the man and his ring was faded into almost non-existence, but a feeling of unease remained, as it always did, surrounding her watch. Something big was going to happen soon, she could feel it. Whatever it was, it would concern the watch. And it would change her life forever...


	4. Chapter 3: An Odd Start

_Hey, told you I'd written two chapters for today! And at last we see- Well, read the chapter and you'll soon find out! I'll have Chapter 4 up as soon as I'm done writing Chapter 5. I might edit 4 a bit before hand, so be patient. It feels a little short to me at the moment, and a bit cheap at the end of the chapter. I have NO IDEA how long this fic will be, so just bear with me yeah? I've broken my Fic record with this already, so I wanna see how long it can go on for! Enjoy the chapter~_

_Also - If you spot any errors in any of my chapters send me a message please. I write this on my iPod so the spelling and grammar check isn't ideal (though I tend to catch most issues) Automatic corrections could be there too, so send me a bell if you spot anything. Thanks!_

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**Chapter 3: An Odd Start  
**_~2 Years Later~_

The sharp sound of a ringing bell shook the 15 year-old awake. It was a Saturday, and that meant prospective 'parents' would come to call at the Orphanage. Every orphan had to be up, washed, dressed and looking their best by 7 in order to have breakfast in time to meet the hopeful 'parents' starting at 8. The ginger sighed and set about the routine.

Even though she was 15, the Orphanage mistress refused to let her leave. At this age, her chances of adoption were slim at best, but nevertheless the routine had to be upheld.

At 7 prompt the bright haired individual was sitting at the large dining hall table surrounded by a horde of chattering children and even a few crying babies. A small toddler was in her lap, and she was trying to get him to sit still long enough for her to brush his spikes blonde hair into a shape other than that of a hedgehog, with little success.

She sighed again softly as she bent across the squirming boy to tie a ribbon around a young girl's ponytail. No matter what happened, she would still be at the Orphanage in the evening, consoling whoever did not get adopted. Some lucky children, most probably all three of the new babies that had come in over the past month, would go.

Every third Saturday of each month was the Orphanage's official open day for adoption, so more kids left then than on any other Saturday. Today was a third Saturday for sure.

The bell rang harshly again and the children all fell silent as the housekeeper entered the room. Breakfast was eaten and cleared in silence under her harsh eye, before they all lined up in the main hall, youngest to oldest. The babies were held, one each by the twins, the youngest orphans at 5, and the third was held by the 15 year old. An uneasy hush fell over all as they awaited inspection from the mistress. A 10-year old boy sneezed loudly and some of the children tittered nervously.

At ten minutes to eight, the mistress descended the stairs and strode purposefully down the line of children; straightening clothes, brushing hair and wiping grubby marks off of faces. When she reached the end of the line, she took the ginger hair of the oldest girl in her hands and twisted it up into a bun. The fringe still flopped into her eye, however, so the mistress whipped a hair pin out of her pocket and pinned it back.

The hall clock struck eight and, for the first time in her life, the fifteen-year old could have sworn she felt her pocket watch vibrate beneath her shirt, as if it too was striking the time. The doorbell rang and a shiver went down her spine as the housekeeper answered. Prospective 'parents' flooded into the room, along with a dark man who shook the core of the girl's mind.

She had seen him before. Definitely. Every year, he came. And every year, she forgot. How? Why? So many questions, but the 'parents' meant she couldn't ask them, not now. And by the time they left she knew she would have forgotten again.

The clock around her neck squirmed again as he passed the babe in her arms over to the mistress, who was showing the child to a set of 'parents'. The little trinket was shaking so much that it was beginning to worry her - it was her only link to her parents, and if it broke she wouldn't be able to cope.

The door opened again and the little watch twitched so violently that the girl had to catch it as it fell out of her top. It squirmed in her hands as a male voice yelled "Open!" in her mind. She glanced at the open doorway to see what had caused the clock to react this way - so sure was she that the two were linked.

A man, he looked to be about 30, stood in the doorway. His dark brown hair fell into his right eye and a red bow tie sat proudly around his neck. He wore matching braces over a creamy shirt, with a tweed jacket complete with elbow patches completing the look. He grinned broadly at the befuddled housekeeper - no one ever turned up on adoption day without a partner - and addressed the crowd of people.

"Hello," he said, voice full of childlike glee, "I'm the Doctor."


	5. Chapter 4: Time Catches Up

_Heys~ Another chapter! Hope you like this one! This and chapter 5 are a little shorter than the others, but that's not to say this story is running out of steam! Hope you like!  
Oh, and remember - Reviewers Get Cookies~~~_

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**Chapter 4: Time Catches Up**

The girl stared at the Doctor as he picked an odd metal rod out of his pocket and pressed a button. The tip glowed bright green as he scanned the room with it, then looked at a minute display on one side. "Well, this is the right place alright..." He muttered to himself, hopping across the threshold. "Has anyone seen anything odd recently? Like, anything unusual? Maybe in the form of anti-light? Or some kind of fl- No, wait, you don't know what that is yet..."

He continued like this, scanning around the room. The girl watched him all the while, so absorbed in his strangeness that she didn't notice a member of the crowd come up right behind her.

She jerked back in surprise as a hand grabbed her arm. She didn't have the chance to say anything before she was whisked into a room by the other strange man, where the mistress and housekeeper were waiting. He shoved her into a hard chair and started pacing. The three began emanating strange noises that she couldn't understand - they seemed familiar, as if she should know them, but scrambled. Moments later, the man stopped and stared her in the eye.

"You," he growled, "pose too much of a threat. We will harvest it now."

A ring on his finger began sucking at the light and she screamed as pain lanced through her head. Darkness, colder and bleaker than anything she had seen before, filled her vision and her thoughts, suppressing her every sense. She felt like she was drowning in an endless ocean, falling down a bottomless pit. Over and over again she tumbled as the pain ripped at her mind, extracting memories she didn't even know she had.

There were memories of happy, smiling faces looking down at her. Some memories were just thoughts, feelings, snapshots of colour and vitality. But there were horrible memories too; memories of fear and pain and running. Memories of demons so horrific that they simply couldn't be memories at all - they COULDN'T be, but they still left raw wounds in her as they were callously removed, turned over, duplicated and shoved back into her head.

Then there was the watch.

Her screaming intensified and the watch jiggled about madly on its chain as the darkness began to seep round a mental block that she had installed so long ago. Through a haze of pain, the girl heard the dark man grunt as he rammed up against this barrier. She fought with all her remaining strength to keep the memories from him, but she knew it was not enough. As the darkness threatened to overwhelm her last defence, she thought she heard a strange buzzing noise and a bang as a door sprung open.

The ferocious attack pulled back a little, and some semblance of sight returned to her as she gulped air in an attempt to remain conscious. The other man - the Doctor as he called himself - was in the doorway, the green light shining in his hand as he marched towards the dark man in front of her. There was a noise like a car backfiring behind her as the dark man faced the Doctor, body bristling with anger.

As her strength finally gave out, the girl caught the scent of static electricity gone ballistic, and was faintly aware of a hand touching her shoulder. There was a brief sensation of dropping through nothingness and a flash of light, before darkness caught up with her and she lost consciousness at last.


	6. Chapter 5: Spacial Awareness

_So, like I promised, here's Chapter 5! This is another shortie - don't worry; I just finished 6 and that's at least twice as long! Also - any mistakes or OOC moments just tell me - I don't wan'em and I sure don't need 'em, so I'd like to remove them if possible.  
Chapter 6 might be a little while in coming - some of my plot bunnies have decided to hibernate, so 7 will take me a while methinks. Just to re-iterate; I post each chapter as soon as the next is finished. This does result in quite an unpredictable post schedule. Sorry._

_Oh! Almost forgot - This chapter includes spoilers for all of Series 6, and also part of 7. If you haven't watched the "PS" scene please do - otherwise a certain character will make no sense. Thanks!_

_Anywho, enjoy the chapter~_

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**Chapter 5: Spacial Awareness**

Soft, pink light filtered through her eyelids. She was lying on a soft, deep bed - far more comfortable than the old, hard, spring-filled beds in the Orphanage. She could have sworn she was dreaming...

... Except for her head.

Even though the darkness had fully receded, her head still pounded. Her skull felt raw and battered, and she felt both physically and mentally drained.

A small crash and a curse made her jump, intensifying the pain enough for her to gasp out. A hand was on her forehead in an instant, a soft male voice muttering soothingly.

She lethargically forced her eyelids apart. In front of her stood the Doctor, looking down at her oddly. She was in a small room which contained an assortment of strange objects she couldn't name - although most strange was perhaps the blue police box that stood in the corner. She looked back at the Doctor.

"Good morning sleepyhead!" He smiled softly - gentle yet reassuring. "How do you feel?"

She managed to squeeze out her reply, "Terrible," without feeling too light headed. The Doctor opened his mouth to say something, but before the words formed on his lips there was a knock on the door.

"Doctor, is she awake?" came a male voice. "And what did I hear breaking?" A second male enquired.

The Doctor grimaced and gulped, glancing at a small pot that lay broken on the floor. "Nothing," he replied quickly. He removed the silvery device from his pocket and pointed it at the pot. The end lit up green and suddenly the pot was no longer broken at all. Seconds later the door opened and two middle-aged men walked in.

"Hello," the slightly younger man said softly, seeing the ginger was awake. "I'm Brian and this is... Well, this is Anthony." He gestured at the older man, who waved a little, sheepish. "The Doctor just brought you round." The girl nodded politely. "Hello." She replied, a little timid.

Anthony sat on the bed and cocked his head slightly. "You look familiar," he stated simply. "Have we met before?" Brian also looked intrigued - clearly they both wanted to know. She shook her head. She'd always been good at remembering faces, and theirs were ringing no bells.

"Speaking of bells..." The Doctor whispered in a voice hardly louder than his quiet breathing. Despite that, the girl nearly leapt into the air out of shock - How did he know she was thinking of bells?! She didn't have time to ponder, however, as sure enough the doorbell rang suddenly. Brian left to answer it.

The room fell quiet as Anthony started picking things up and putting them away in drawers and boxes that were hidden out if the way throughout the room. The Doctor just pulled a computer device out of his pocket and started typing away. She sat in silence, happy to observe whilst she recovered from her black out.

That is, until a voice came from the doorway.

Standing in the arch - one hand on the frame, the other on her hip - was a woman with the biggest halo of blonde curls the ginger had ever seen. She wore strange clothing and held herself in a rather provocative manner - she had a good body and BOY did she know it! A small giggle burst from her lips as she addressed the Doctor, humour glinting in her blue eyes.

"Hello Sweetie!"


	7. Chapter 6: Vortex

_Heyas~ So, I meant to upload this on Monday when I finished it, but didn't get round to it - sorry! Also - Important Note: I have changed some bits in the previous chapters, so please go back and re-read those so as that future bits make sense. Thanks!  
Enjoy the chapter~_

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**Chapter 6: Vortex**

The Doctor stood gracefully and crossed over to the fuzzy haired woman. She in turn came away from the doorframe and met him just within the room, at which point he gave her a peck on the cheek - a peck which she twisted into and deepened, placing her hands on his chest as he twined his fingers into her halo of hair. From the hallway came the sound of Brian clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Melody, can this wait? I really don't want to see this, I'm sure your brother would agree..."

"Quite the contrary," Anthony replied with a smirk, "Give Grandpa a spectacle Mels m'dear!"

The ginger orphan gawked as she drew the family tree out in her head. "How...?" She began, but before she could finish the Doctor broke away from Melody.

"Time travel. Stuff got..." He glanced at Melody, tapping her nose sweetly "Complicated..."

She flashed a bright grin. Navigating past him, Melody sat on the end of the bed and looked at the ginger for a moment. She grinned again "So, my husband used my Vortex Manipulator to get you here, eh?"

The ginger stared uncomprehendingly as the Doctor handed a black bracelet of some sort to his wife. After a few words, Melody took an identical bracelet off of her own wrist, replacing it with the one the Doctor had given her. "Be right back," she said, hitting a button on the bracelet now on her wrist and vanishing with a loud fizz. Less than ten seconds passed before there was another fizz and she was back, her blonde curls bouncing crazily.

"Right, now that's sorted..." She began. Looking back at the orphan she proffered her hand "River Song, archaeologist. Nice to meet you..." She paused, waiting for a name. The girl took the hand and shook it gently.

"Hello. I'm... Well, it's a little weird... The Orphanage named me Eyphah. That's not my birth name though, but I don't know what is…" She smiled lopsidedly, looking a little awkward. River broke out into a grin.

"Oh, who cares about birth names - other than those two of course," River began, gesturing at Brian and Anthony, "I was born Melody Pond, but I take the name River Song generally. Even in prison, come to think of it…"

Eyphah stared. "You were in prison?!" she asked, disbelievingly. River seemed kind and happy - not your typical prisoner. "Whatever for?" River cast the Doctor a look before replying.

"Well," she shifted slightly and sat next to Eyphah on the bed. "For… Murder." The ginger girl gasped, pulling back from the blonde psychopath sat next to her. "No, wait!" River grabbed her wrist and held her still. "Let me explain. I killed a good man - the best I've ever known - but only officially. In fact, it's not even official anymore, not since he deleted himself from the records…" Another look was exchanged and the penny dropped for Eyphah.

"Him?" she said incredulously, staring at the Doctor and the woman before her. "You killed him?" River nodded, as did the Doctor. Grins were present on both faces - grins tinted with sadness. "Why?"

River sighed and patted the girls wrist tenderly. "That's a long story - one that I'm not going into now. Let's just say I did it for the right reasons…" She grinned again as she looked at the fifteen year old. "Eyphah," River's eyes sparkled, "have you looked in a mirror since you got here?"

"No." Eyphah was startled by the sudden change of topic. "Why?"

River grinned broadly and produced a small makeup mirror from her bag. Eyphah stared at her reflection in surprise. Her own hair - usually so floppy - had sprung into curls resembling those River sported in a halo round her head. "It's a side effect of the vortex manipulator." River said happily.

"Congratulations Eyphah, you're now a time traveller!"

A little while later, Eyphah was sat on the edge of the bed wearing long leather boots, skinny jeans and a baggy purple top - all of which had come from a chest of drawers in the room.

"They were Amy's" Brian had said. The name had sent a wave of silence through everyone - whoever Amy was, something bad must have happened to her. Eyphah had sat quietly until they continued, trying to be respectful.

Now, however, the room was bursting with activity. Eyphah watched as Brian and Anthony continued clearing up, chatting with River on occasion. However, Eyphah found her eye drawn to the married couple far more often than it ought to have been.

The Doctor and River stood side by side, looking at each other softly and occasionally brushing hands - whilst having an argument over a screwdriver.

"Honestly sweetie," River was saying, "just give it a setting for wood. It's disgraceful that you haven't done so already!" The Doctor was shaking his head. "The TARDIS can fix the screwdriver in her own time - I'm not gonna push it."

Yet whilst Eyphah watched in a moment of calm, the watch was restless. Energy swirled within, writhing in anticipation, whispering into the girl's mind constantly. The watch was waking up...


	8. Chapter 7: Wibbly Wobbly

_YAHA! I finished this on Tuesday, but - again - didn't get round to posting. Enjoy~_

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**Chapter 7: Wibbly Wobbly**

The Doctor clapped his hands together sharply, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, listen up!" He said, striding into the middle of the room. "The sonic definitely registered-" he paused, glancing at Eyphah, then continued "-what we were looking for at the Orphanage. Now, clearly something else is going on here, but if we want to know anything more we have to go back there. Now."

The room was silent. Eyphah held her breath. The Doctor wanted to return to the Orphanage - would he put her back? She didn't want to go. Her whole life had been in that building, but the freedom before her was so thrilling she knew she never wanted to let it go.

"River," the Doctor was walking towards the police box, yet turned to face his wife, "are you coming?"

"Of course sweetie!" River grabbed his hand and the two walked into the box without another word. Then, "Eyphah, come on!" The Doctor's voice came from within the box as River poked her head round the door.

"Quickly!" She said, gesturing at Eyphah to come forward. Eyphah didn't even think - she just did as the woman said and followed her into the box. Only, once she was inside, she saw it wasn't a box at all.

"Wha- But, that's not... How?" River grinned at Eyphah's confused expression.

"Dear, I'll let you deal with this!" She called to the Doctor as she took over from him at the control panel in the centre of the room. The Doctor bounded down the stairs from the glass platform to stand beside Eyphah, face shining with glee.

"Go on," he encouraged, "say it!" Eyphah glanced at him, in awe of her surroundings.

"It's... It's bigger on the inside!" She gasped, gazing at the TARDIS control room. "Where am I?" She asked, dazed.

River glanced up from the controls, where she was piloting the machine on its way back to the Orphanage. "Sweetie, I think she needs to sit down." She called across to the Doctor. Eyphah was led across the room and sat down in the chair next to the console.

"Welcome to my home." The Doctor began. "This is the TARDIS. T-A-R-D-I-S, stands for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. What d'ya think?" He was bobbing on his heels like a hyper five year old.

"A time machine!" The teenager gasped in wonder. This was so much to take in. "But, why does it look like a police box?"

River piped up. "Fault in the chameleon circuit. Specifically, the Alpha-Delta coupling which is meant to reroute the gyroscopic transformer down on level 1359b has an internal fault, by which I of course mean the pink connector has interfered with the green resistors, so the orange wire has slipped causing the purple fuse to blow." Eyphah gawked. River sighed.

"Basically, the old girl is broken and I don't want to fix her." The Doctor simplified from beside her. "She doesn't mind it though - she quite likes being a police box, don't you dear?" He addressed the machine affectionately. As if in response, the whole room was filled with a soft hum of contentment.

There was a ding from the console as River stated "We're here." The Doctor glared at her. "What?" The woman asked innocently.

"You left the brakes off. Her first time in the TARDIS and you left the brakes off..." The Doctor pouted, eyes wide. He looked like a kicked puppy.

River just huffed an walked past him to the door. "Come along Eyphah!" She said brightly. Eyphah followed, slipping past the Doctor, who now looked at River in mild irritation. "Stop nicking my lines!" He huffed as he joined her at the door. River just smiled at him. "Never."

And with that, she opened the door of the blue box.


	9. Chapter 8: Secrets

_Ach - I've been evil. I've kept silent for AGES sorry. Life got on top of me as I had to do carol services at school. However, I've written at least a sentence every day and have just started Chapter 10. Here's Chapter 8 for you - it's quite short, but Chapter 9 is the longest yet, capping it off at 1,389 words! I'm uploading 9 today as well to say sorry.  
Enjoy the chapter!_

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__**Chapter 8: Secrets**

The door swung open to reveal a very familiar scene. Eyphah bit her hand to keep from crying out as she took in the Orphanage before her. River and the Doctor disembarked the TARDIS, and she found herself inexplicably drawn after them. The door closed behind her with a soft click.

"Woah..." She said softly, gazing around in amazement. She had not expected them to be lying about the machine, but seeing it take effect was astonishing.

The Doctor already had his little silver device out and was shining the green light about, reading off of a miniature display on the side every now and again. "No, no, no, no, no! I'm sure it said... What? This doesn't- Gah!" He threw his arms up in the air and stormed back across the room, scanning again.

Eyphah tapped River's shoulder tentatively. "Um, what is he doing exactly?" She asked, trying not to sound too doubtful of the Doctor - she was, of course, speaking to his wife. River laughed softly. "He's scanning for- something. With his sonic screwdriver."

"Speaking of my screwdriver, dear," the Doctor came back across the room, "there seems to be something wrong with it. I had a clear positive result earlier and now there's nothing at all." He pressed a button on the side lazily, clearly trying to demonstrate his point. The sonic buzzed loudly and he jumped in surprise.

"WHAT?! Now you're reading that? Make up your mind!"

He flicked it across the room again, including the ceiling and floor. No noises came from the small device. He squinted and held it close to his nose, glaring at the tiny device. Eyphah thought she saw the device seem to shrink back from his gaze.

"Dear, shall I have a go?" River was patient, holding out her hand, but the Doctor just waved at her absently. "Shh!" Silence followed. The Doctor cocked his head and listened intently.

"It's not broken..." He gulped and looked up, turning in circles. "River, it's working! The test is right! Don't you feel it! The time residue…" River was silent, breathing softly as she extended her extra senses, then a grin spread across her face.

"Oh my... Finally..." The two gazed around the room intently, searching. Eyphah stood where she was, befuddled by their behaviour. They were clearly experiencing something she could not.

Nervous habit caused her to take the pocket watch from around her neck into her hand, listening to the faint echoes of whispered words that came from it. The Doctor's sonic buzzed loudly and he turned suddenly to look at Eyphah. His gaze fell upon the watch.

Eyphah watched as his mouth slipped slightly open and he grabbed River's arm. She turned to, and like her husband gaped at the watch.

"What?" Eyphah said softly, slightly intimidated by the power of their gaze. "What's wrong?"

"Where did you get that?" River's voice was strained. Neither made any move to answer Eyphah's own question.

"I've always had it. Why?" Eyphah was frightened now, but didn't know why. She started to back away from the pair slowly.

It was now that the Doctor spoke. "You do realise, Eyphah, that that watch is singing?"


	10. Chapter 9: In The Open

_Okay, here's 9. I haven't finished 10 yet, so there may be some revisions of this chapter and stuff... There will be a longer wait for 10 too. Also, I was thinking of splitting this into two separate chapters as it's so long. Tell me what you think.  
I reckon the character development is too fast here also - again, please tell me what you think. As 10 isn't done there's still room for improvement here.  
Thanks and enjoy!_

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**Chapter 9: In The Open**

Eyphah's mouth felt suddenly dry. She stared at him for a moment before replying.

"Yes." The noise sounded choked and garbled, so she said it again. "Yes. I've heard it sing all my life. No one else has noticed it before though..."

The Doctor nodded. "Perception filter. High level too..." He approached her and gently reached for the watch. "May I?"

Gulping, Eyphah nodded. Usually if someone wanted to see the watch the song would pause and a voice would tell her to keep the watch away, but this time no such warning came. Eyphah unclasped the chain and held the device up on her palm. The Doctor picked up the watch.

"Fascinating. The craftsmanship reminds me of the styles seen on Midnight, but it's made of the wrong metals. The singing is new too. River, see what you make of this." He handed the antiquated necklace to his wife.

The moment the metal touched her hand, she gasped. "The perception filter is so strong!" She stared at it carefully. "Heavier than it appears, so either it's made of Mercury or it's not an Earth metal..."

River gave the watch back to Eyphah. "I don't know what it is," the Doctor said quietly to the ginger girl, "but whatever it is; keep it safe."

As he walked off, he absentmindedly ruffled her hair. The watch jumped in Eyphah's hand as he did. Shaking her head, Eyphah refastened the necklace around her neck and they continued looking.

"What are we looking for, Doctor?" She asked a few minutes later. She still didn't get why they were even here - she thought she had left this place for good. She hasn't expected to stay with River and the Doctor, nor Anthony and Brian, but to get away from the Orphanage had been on her mind.

He looked at her oddly. "What makes you think I know?"

"You said to look for... For whatever it is!" Eyphah cried indignantly. The Doctor grinned, but didn't answer.

Instead, he pulled aside a curtain and unveiled a hideous creature. It looked like images of Slenderman that Eyphah had once seen on the Internet. It was very tall, with a large white face and deep set eyes. It wore a black suit and looked terribly imposing.

The Doctor leapt back with a shout. "Silent!" He cried. River whirled and shot the creature with a gun Eyphah had seen slung round her hips. It must have been from the future - time travel and all, this was likely, as Eyphah had never seen such a device before.

"Sweetie, there's more..." River's voice was quavering. Eyphah was confused - she had seen only the one... Thing. It had been imposing, hadn't it? River had shot it... Hadn't she? Eyphah struggled to remember.

"How many do you count?" The Doctor called across to River from the other side of the room - how had he gotten there so quick? "I'm counting about four..." Replied River.

The Doctor glanced at his hand. "Five by my count." He called. "We have to get out of here. They know now, River. If they try to activate-" River cut him off angrily.

"You think I don't know that? I grew up with these!" She hissed between her teeth. She turned to Eyphah. "Get back to the TARDIS. Now. We'll join you in a moment."

The teenager nodded and ran back to the blue box, closing the door behind her. Once inside, she sank to the ground with her head in her hands. She caught a glimpse of her left trouser leg - it was speckled with blood.

She checked herself for injuries, pulling at the blood to see if her leg had been cut. The blood was not hers, she realised. The Doctor and River - where where they? All she could remember was that they were in trouble.

Her watch ticked angrily against her chest, pulsing strongly enough for her to feel each tick as clearly as she could her own heartbeat. Fingers trembling, Eyphah drew out the watch.

The moment the metal structure came into contact with the blood on her hand, which had come from her trouser leg, she heard a whirring click from within. It sounded like a lock opening. Glancing around, Eyphah located the small button on the top of the watch that was meant to open it. The button had never worked, but the noise had encouraged her to try again. Without a second thought she depressed the button.

The watch sprung open and alien light engulfed the young girl.

Some few minutes later there was an electric cackle as River used the Vortex manipulator to get into the TARDIS. She landed right next to the console. Clinging onto her shoulder like a man possessed was the Doctor. He was deathly pale and had a gaping gash in his left side, which River had her hand clenched over in order to stem the flow of blood.

"Eyphah! Bring me a med kit will you?" River shouted. But the ginger teenager was nowhere to be seen. Tutting, River lowered the Doctor into a chair.

"Just hang in there, sweetie. I'll be right back. And don't you regenerate whilst I'm gone! That's not life threatening and you know it! It's just... Inconvenient." She dashed off to find a med kit, leaving the Doctor grinning behind.

The gash looked deep, but by Time Lord standards it was not that bad. The Doctor knew it didn't warrant regeneration by a long shot. He did need a med kit, though, as otherwise he wouldn't be able to remain conscious for much longer. His body would shut down for up to 24 hours in order to donate all available energy to healing the wound. Already he could feel his muscle responses starting to slow.

He really didn't want to leave River alone with a 15 year old human on his TARDIS - they'd probably fix the chameleon circuit or something equally dreadful whilst he was out for the count.

River returned with a med kit at last and set to binding the gash. When she was done, she sat back and admired her work. "Well, how do you feel?" She asked him softly. He winced as he pressed his fingers to his side. The bandage was made of fibrinogen - it should help to speed up his healing.

"I'll be fine. A little weak for a day or two, but otherwise fine." He smiled wholesomely at his wife as she packed up the kit. "Did you find Eyphah?"

River met his eyes slowly. Her look said no, and that she was worried. The Doctor hauled himself to his feet with River's help. Stumbling slightly he began fiddling with the console, pulling up an internal map of the TARDIS on the scanner.

He typed 'Eyphah' into a control panel and got a reading on the bottom of the scanner screen. "What do you mean 'Search Parameters Not Applicable'?" He groaned, bashing the keyboard again. This time he set the search to 'Single Heart'.

"Why not human?" River asked. He glanced at her meaningfully. She would have come up under that search as well, being only human plus Time Lord. And since she had two hearts now that she had regenerated, setting the search to a single heart was probably the more effective method after all.

Finally a result pinged up. "She's in storeroom 28b on floor 13.4D9." The Doctor sighed in relief. "Probably got lost. Lets go-"

"I'll find her." River said gently. "You stay here and rest a little. You're still weak, even by human standards. Rest. I'll be right back." The Doctor sat back down and watched his wife as she left the console room to find their guest.

Elsewhere, Eyphah sat in storeroom 28b on floor 13.4D9. The watch hung lifeless on its chain around her neck, and her hair - now beginning to slacken again - was falling across her face. But the darkness in her eye was clearly evident as she reached across the vials in front of her.

From among the plethora of bottles she selected two that looked promising. A smirk spread across the young girl's face as she pocketed both substances and walked out of the room in deathly silence, darkness glinting in her eyes.


	11. Chapter 10: Horse's Head

_Heyas! So, two chapters today! Consider it an early Christmas gift!  
Enjoy~_

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**Chapter 10: Horse's Head**

River rounded a corner and collided with a fifteen year old ginger who was coming the other way. She grabbed Eyphah's shoulders to keep them both balanced.

"Where were you? I called - loudly!" River demanded, not accusing but not too lightly either. Eyphah shook her head, green eyes wide.

"I'm sorry. I got lost. I was looking for a med kit like you said. I replied - maybe you didn't hear me. Sorry..." The teenager stared at her feet, a blush of embarrassment rising on her cheeks. River relaxed slightly. "Come on then." She said, leading the way back to the control room.

Once the two reached the control room, they were met with an odd sight. The Doctor was, despite River's orders, stumbling around the controls of his machine. The bandage at his side was turning slightly pink but doing its job well enough - some of the colour had returned to the Doctor's face.

"I thought I told you to rest." River huffed at her husband, hands on her hips. She glared at him with a mischievous light in her eyes. Looking up, the Doctor gave her his childish grin.

"Indeed you did. I didn't listen is all." He said, walking across the room and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Mmhm... Maybe you should try listening for once..." River uttered softly before they kissed. This kiss was tender and loving as they held each other gently, trying to avoid the Doctor's wound.

"Maybe... But... Perhaps the... Physical approach... Is... Better..." The Doctor mumbled against River's lips. River's lips curled into a smirk against his. Her hands rested on his shoulders, his on her hips. They stood together kissing for a short while.

Eyphah coughed lightly to remind them if her presence. The couple sprung apart as if they were schoolchildren being caught together by a teacher. Both blushed - an impressive feat in the Doctor's current state.

"Right... Yes. Where were we... Uh... Oh! Hello again Eyphah!" The Doctor stumbled and tripped over his words. River smirked behind him, pleased to see the power se held over her husband in effect. The Doctor turned back to the console. "Just gonna pop the TARDIS in space somewhere for a while. Anyone got any preference?"

River glanced at her husband and grinned cheekily. "You know my favourite spot in the cosmos!" The Doctor mirrored her grin and typed in the co-ordinates.

"Where are we going? And why?" Eyphah asked blankly. The Doctor turned to her. "Why? Just because we can. Where - take a look." He and River watched eagerly as Eyphah cautiously opened the door. The teenager gasped.

The TARDIS had materialised just in front of the Horse Head Nebula. It was a stunning sight - she could see stars being born within the bright clouds of gas.

"What do you think?" The Doctor asked from behind her. He leant against the doorframe, grinning at the fifteen year old brightly. Glancing at him she returned the grin, then looked back at the stars before her. As if dazed by the sight, she leant forward...

...and overbalanced, toppling over the edge of the TARDIS and into empty space.


	12. Chapter 11: Darkness Decadent

_So, today's second installment! The reason I've posted these together is because they both felt very short, especially after Chapter 9. I considered merging the two, but I liked this title too much and wanted to keep both cliffhangers. So shoot me, I was evil and hung onto them for a bit in order to release them together. Enjoy~_

* * *

**Chapter 11: Darkness Decadent**

The Doctor lurched forward, grabbing Eyphah's ankle as she drifted into space, preventing her from going too far. He smiled, relieved, and called up to her. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she replied, her voice more full of wonder than fear. "Can I stay up here for a minute?" She asked. The Doctor consented.

Outside of his field of vision, the ginger girl slipped a hand into her pocket, drawing out one of the two bottles she had taken earlier. The darkness in her eyes was back, clouding the grey-green irises and turning them deep purple speckled with darkest black.

The bottle's contents drifted around within the glass shell as zero gravity took it's effect. The liquid within the bottle was a bright, putrid green. It glowed softly in the starlight as Eyphah grasped the cork with two fingers and his the little bottle in her palm.

"Uhh... Doctor? I want to come down now..." She called. Her voice sounded small and timid - as if the adrenaline had worn off and she had realised exactly where she was. The Doctor obliged, gently tugging her back within the relative safety of the TARDIS.

She fell against him as gravity pulled on her once again. Her hand brushed past his ear just momentarily during her descent. "Sorry..." She mumbled, pushing away slightly, blushing. He shook it off without issue. "What do you think?" He asked eagerly, gesturing at the view. She turned her back to look at it again.

"Amazing!" She said, turning to face him again. But something was wrong. Eyphah put the empty glass bottle back in her pocket as the Doctor shook his head from side to side, pressing his palm to his forehead as he tried to alleviate the pressure that was accumulating.

"River..." He called as the potent poison rippled through his already weakened body. There was no response.

The Doctor looked over to where River had been. His bespoke psychopath had collapsed to the floor and was twitching every now and again as an equally potent poison tore through her veins.

As his vision began to cloud, the Doctor looked back at Eyphah. Her young eyes were empty and cold as he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

The moment his head hit the ground, Eyphah grinned with sadistic satisfaction. Stepping over his prone body she walked over to the console and began to type in commands, sending the TARDIS hurtling through empty space. Reaching into her pocket, she brought out the two glass bottles and left them to one side.

She flounced away down an endless corridor, grinning still, whilst - behind her in the console room - River and the Doctor lay still, fighting for their lives.


	13. Chapter 12: Fixed Point

_Hello! Okay, I said I'd release a chapter for Christmas... I lied. I'm sorry... BUT I am going to give you two chapters again! And one of them is very long! I hope you'll like them. Also, the Christmas special was AMAZING! And before anyone moans about me still using the old TARDIS interior in this fic - I know there's a new one, but I prefer the older one and I wrote the beginning of this fic before I heard about the redesign. Also, this is a FanFiction. Nothing will fit exactly with the Whoniverse as it's written by me - a FAN. So anyway, enjoy~  
Also - That returning character is in this chapter JackieStars!  
Also Also - I pronounce Eyphah 'AY-fuh' but the Hebrew is pronounced 'AY-faw'. Pick whichever you prefer. Thanks for asking bitbyacullen!_

_REVIEW PEOPLES! I have only had 4 reviewers, so other readers please review too! I love reviews and I always answer any questions! Feel free to PM me also! Anyway, enough of that - On With The Chapter!_

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**Chapter 12: Fixed Point**

The TARDIS hurtled through the Time Vortex for several minutes before something changed. Within the console room a smell of burnt hair and static electricity began to arise. Moments later, there was a flash of light and an outrageous bang as a person landed within the craft using a vortex manipulator. The Doctor's sonic screwdriver buzzed loudly from beneath him in response to the intruder.

The man - the intruder being male and of human appearance - glanced around the craft. "Huh, redecorated haven't you?" He said as he took it all in. He glanced around the floor and, spotting the unconscious bodies, grumbled slightly. "So you've regenerated AND got a lady friend, huh?"

He tutted slightly. "And gotten yourself into a mess. You don't change much, do you?" The man marched across to the terminal and picked up the bottles sitting on the side. One read Augeas Oforkansi, the other Khumbu Arrluk. He sighed again.

"Time Poison and Mind Killer. You've got yourselves into a right mess you two. Well, only one thing for it..." He strode across to the Doctor and took his pulse. "Meh - you've only been under for about seven minutes. TARDIS old girl, could you give me some Hypo-Cortex Stimu-7 by any chance?"

The time machine grumbled reluctantly. "Okay, if you want him to die..." The man said sarcastically. The TARDIS gave in and a small vial of the requested substance appeared beside the man. "Thank you." He said, tipping the contents of the bottle into the Doctor's mouth.

The Doctor lurched back into life, coughing and spluttering. "That stuff is truly disgusting..." He stopped when he saw the intruder. "Long time no see!" Said the man before him.

"Indeed, Jack Harkness. And not time wasted either." The Doctor replied, pulling himself too his feet. He was shaky and his head was pounding, but he would live. Mind Killer was a terrible poison that didn't kill you - therefore he hadn't regenerated as it wasn't life-threatening. Instead it incapacitated the brain and shut down non-vital brain activity, such as conscious thought.

Once standing, the Doctor looked at Jack again, properly this time. "I thought I disabled your manipulator?" Jack laughed merrily. "Indeed Doctor! You disabled my Type 03 Vortex Manipulator about 3,000 years ago for me! Hah, this is the Type 407.8. Like it?"

But the Doctor wasn't listening. He had bet down next to River and was scanning her with his Sonic. Jack spoke as the Doctor looked at the readings. "I'm gonna guess that she's been poisoned with Augeas Oforkansi..."

"How'd you know that?" The Doctor asked quickly, pointing the sonic at Jack. The American raised his hands up. "Hey, I found these." He tossed the bottles at the Doctor, who caught them neatly. He grimaced.

"You're right..." The Doctor spoke slowly. He sounded defeated as he placed the bottles on the floor next to River. "There's only one treatment for Time Poisoning, and that's Time itself."

"I know." Said Jack. He did not know this woman at all, but she was clearly far more than a friend of the Doctor. He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "And I'm sorry."

"No one should have to do that!" The Doctor was fuming. He leapt to his feet and started pacing. "I... I can't do that to her. She's human plus Time Lord Jack! I don't know how it would affect her..."

Jack watched him pace. "If you don't," he said softly, "she'll die."

The Doctor stopped pacing and crouched next to River again, stroking her curls. "I know." His voice was full of emotions Jack couldn't name.

His wife, he decided. That was who this woman was. The Doctor cared for many people, but one of the emotions he had given off so far was that of deep love unlike any Jack had seen before.

The Doctor stood again and entered some coordinates into the TARDIS. Jack gave him some room. Then, midway through typing, the Doctor paused.

"Jack," he said quietly, "there's a girl somewhere in the TARDIS called Eyphah - curly ginger hair and green eyes. Could you find her please? I need a serious word."

"Did she- ?"

"No one else could have. I don't know how she could know what to do, but she is clearly a danger."

"Of course." Jack set off down the winding pathways of never-ending space that made the TARDIS what it was.

The Doctor turned back to typing the coordinates, glancing worriedly at River. "Hang in there, River. I'm going to fix this." He said gently in Gallifreyan. Pulling a lever, the floppy haired Time Lord sent the TARDIS hurtling through the Time Vortex at top speed towards a destination he had hoped never to return to.


	14. Chapter 13: Raw Time

_So here's the next chapter! This one is another long one! I enjoyed writing this a little too much methinks... Also, I did point out at the start of the fic that this is a Doctor/River fic. That's reflected here. Don't Like - Don't Read. Simple.  
Anyway - On with the chapter!_

* * *

__**Chapter 13: Raw Time**

The TARDIS appeared with its trademark 'vworp' at the edge of the Untempered Schism. Several Sisters of Infinity were milling about the area. They ran one of the best hospitals in the Universe; he knew because he had left River there once, a long time ago. She'd been there again since, but not for the same reasons.

No one was allowed to approach the rip in the Universe that looked out at time itself. No one except Time Lords that is.

The Doctor exited the blue box, supporting an unconscious River Song. Jack remained in the TARDIS, tracking Eyphah through the endless maze of corridors that covered the ship's interior.

One of the Sisters swished up to the Doctor, blocking his path. Her face was hidden beneath an opaque veil. She wore robes of powder blue cinched with a brown belt around her middle. The colour meant that she was of one of the higher ranks of the Sisterhood - the paler the robe, the more senior the Sister.

"Halt! None may visit the Schism!" Her voice was placid, yet confident. It was a voice used to giving orders. The Doctor stopped like she said and addressed her calmly.

"Greetings Sister. I need to get to the Schism. I know the rules - I think you'll find I am allowed to gain access to it." She cocked her head - if it was her head. The Sisters included members of practically every race. One could never be sure that the Sister was necessarily as humanoid as they appeared.

"That is not possible," she said after a pause. "No Time Lords remain. Identify yourself immediately!" She raised a small blaster. What was it with women pointing guns at him, the Doctor wondered, shifting River's weight slightly. He decided to be blunt - there was no point in beating around the bush when River's life was in danger - and by extension of that, his own was probably on the line too.

"I'm the Doctor. I am over twelve hundred years old. I am the last surviving Time Lord of Gallifrey. I was the one who Time Locked the planet, and I was the one who brought about the end of the Last Time War. I had to make that choice and have had to carry the burden of what I did every day since. And right now, my wife is going to die of Augeas Oforkansi poisoning if I don't get access to the Schism as quickly as possible. So please, Sister of Infinity, put that gun down!"

The Sister remained still for a moment, then lowered the gun. Raising her other arm (or it might have been a tentacle or something - you could never tell) she spoke into a com link. "Sisters - we have a Visitor to the Schism."

The Doctor relaxed slightly, until a voice on the other end of the com link came back. "We require proof of identification. Allow the Visitor to proceed to the base of the Schism." The Sister before him bowed slightly and stood aside. The Doctor spared her a small smile as he walked past towards the base of a stone structure.

It was a set of stone stairs that were carved into the rock of the planet. Gallifrey used to be visible in these skies - it was the closest the Doctor had been to home for an awfully long time. At the top of the stairs, he knew, there was a plateau of rock that sat beneath the Schism. He shuddered slightly as he remembered it.

Reaching the stone stairs, another Sister stepped from the shadows. He immediately bowed his head out of respect. She wore robes of the purest white. This must be the Mother of the Sisterhood, he realised. She spoke first.

"Doctor," her voice sounded human, he was sure of it. "I am Mother Tessa of the Infinite Sisterhood. I require irrefutable proof of your identity before allowing you access to the Schism."

"What would you like as proof, Lady Tessa, seventy-second Mother of Infinity?" He asked. He used her full title out of respect. From the slight movement of her head - she was human, he knew, so it was definitely her head - she was both surprised by his use of the name and approving of it.

"Knowledge will suffice. Tell me something only a true Time Lord of Gallifrey would know. The Sisterhood has long guarded this place - the Time Lords have told us certain things so as that we may test Visitors accordingly." She said softly.

The Doctor considered for a moment, then addressed her again. This time he spoke in High Gallifreyan - a variation of his language forgotten by most races, but not the Sisterhood. "Mother of Infinity, I tell you this; When the wind blows South and the clouds move North, and the leaves fall East as the grass grows West, and the moons of Gallifrey stand still, a certain fruit shall grow from the red soil."

She seemed pleased by his use of the ancient riddle. "Good Doctor, but tell me this - what fruit is it?" She spoke in the same tongue.

The Doctor smiled. "The fruit is of the mind; Rassillon's Gift." He replied.

The joy of having a conversation in the language was upon him in waves. River was fluent in all the written forms of Gallifreyan by this point in her timeline, but not so the spoken variants. She had mastered Basic, but was just beginning to learn High Gallifreyan. Having a conversation like this was an experience the Doctor hadn't had in far too long.

The Mother nodded. "Go," she said, no longer in his native tongue. "The Schism awaits." He nodded at her reverently, then climbed the stairs to the plateau.

Reaching the flat rock, he gulped nervously. Memories of when he was eight years old came crashing back, not pleasant memories either. Staring into the Schism had revealed to him his true name, as well as causing him to start running. Of course, the two weren't mutually exclusive either.

Swallowing his fear, he advanced towards the Schism. He was careful not to look into it - the vastness of Time still made him want to run, and he wasn't sure he could resist the impulse. He had to say focused to help River.

Reaching the jutting piece of rock that led right up to the schism, he placed River down. "Come on River, I need you to open your eyes. Please." He said to her gently, stroking her cheek.

Her face was contorted in pain and her muscles were twitching uncontrollably - she was not long for this world. The Doctor reached out and pressed his fingertips to her temples.

He hated doing this, especially to River. An unconscious person can't block out memories, so often the Doctor would see quite personal things even when lightly skimming an unconscious person's mind. Hence he hated doing it. But there was no alternative that he could think of.

He reached into her mind tenderly. He kept his 'eyes' tightly closed so as that he wouldn't see anything that was drifting about in her head. Moving quickly, he reached for a random memory and yanked. Hard.

Letting go of the memory, he zipped back into his own head and opened his eyes. River's eyes were wide open. "Sweetie...?" She sounded tired and ill - not surprising considering how close she was to death. Her eyelids began to close again.

"No! River, please you need to stay conscious! You have to do this!" He grabbed her hand.

"But it hurts..." River - his strong, capable River - was begging. Seeing her curled up on the stone, writhing in pain - it broke the Doctor's hearts.

"I know sweetie..." He stroked the back of her hand. "But you need to look. If you don't you'll die. Please!"

She looked up at him. Pain was barely concealed in her eyes as she gazed at his face. Seeing the worry and concern written across his features, she nodded with difficulty. "Help me." She said, weaker even than before.

The Doctor gently picked her up again, much like he had before. Except, this time he stood with both arms around her, supporting her as she tried to put her weight on her feet. It wasn't working.

"Lean on me." He murmured into her ear, turning her to face away from him, towards the schism. They weren't angled such that she could look into it, but the stiffening of her body beneath his hands told him that she knew what was happening.

"Augeas Oforkansi." He told her before she could ask. Her hands grasped his arms as he moved slightly, so as that she was mere millimetres away from staring into the Untempered Schism.

"Oh River," he spoke in Gallifreyan now, "I never wanted you to have to do this..." She rubbed his arm gently, telling him that he was forgiven through her simple action - she was too weak to talk.

Together they moved, slipping into the exact spot necessary for River to gaze into the Untempered Schism. River blinked weakly, and upon opening her eyes, found herself confronted with the vastness of Time itself.

And her mind was changed.

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_Okay - quick footnote for clarification. I don't know if the Classic series said anything about the Schism, but in my mind it wasn't on Gallifrey. The first journey a Time Lord child ever made was to a nearby (as in - as close to Gallifrey as Mars is to Earth) planet in order to look into the Schism. The Sisters of Infinity (the 'Sisters of the Infinite Schism' is a hospital according to the TARDIS wiki) have always looked after this planet and protected the Schism. Blah blah. If you want more background info on all of this, send me a review or a PM and I'll get back to you._


	15. Chapter 14: Endless

_Why, hello again! So, on the last day of 2012 I have decided to post two chapters. Again. Don't get used to this though! This only happens because I don't have access to my laptop over a period of time, but continue to write on my iPod. So yeah - not advisory for me. Also, my school starts up again next week, so things might get a little slower. I will continue to write, however - following my strict schedule of at least one sentence every day. Sounds stupid, but this actually works!_

_This is another short-butt chapter. Don't worry, the next two are both big'ns!_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and the next. More to come as soon as I finish Chapter 17. Enjoy and review~_

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**Chapter 14: Endless**

Jack turned a corner and was confronted by another maze of passageways. "Great..."

He put his hand to the wall of the TARDIS, which shuddered in mild disgust. Ever since he had become a fixed point the TARDIS had shown a kind of foreboding around him. Quite ironic really; the only girl in the Universe that Jack could really do with liking him shuddered with disgust at his touch.

"Can't you just help me find her? She tried to kill the Doctor after all!" He moaned at the machine. In response, the TARDIS hummed in a noncommittal manner. "What d'ya mean by that then? She didn't try to kill him? Or is there something I'm not-"

Jack broke off as he saw a flash of ginger turn round a corner ahead of him. "Thanks girl." He called to the TARDIS as he chased Eyphah through a labyrinth of corridors. The girl had extraordinary stamina.

A short while later, he was still chasing her at full pelt. He was sweating heavily and felt himself beginning to slow and tire. "Oh, come on! No human should be able to run like that." The TARDIS hummed at him in confirmation.

"No... Human!"

Jack skidded to a halt suddenly, stopping in his tracks. Sure enough, as if satisfied by this revelation, the TARDIS has moved the corridor Eyphah was hurtling down - moved it so it led straight to Jack.

Before the teen could turn around Jack grabbed her and held her still. Fishing in his pocket with one hand whilst she struggled, he withdrew a small needle. Quickly, he inserted it into her arm and Eyphah went limp.

Jack sighed in relief and picked her up. "Thank you." He said to the TARDIS. She hummed merrily. Looking ahead, Jack saw the control room less than 10 feet away. "Really thank you!" He amended, carrying Eyphah through to the control room.

He placed her unconscious body on the chair within and started pacing, impatiently waiting for the Doctor to return.

River stared into the Time Vortex. It was a never ending tube of whirling colour and light. It was bewildering to say the least - the whole structure seemed chaotic and random, yet at the same time felt ordered and understandable. It was perhaps the oddest sensation River had ever experienced. Well, one of the oddest anyway.

And deep within her mind, some unfinished part of her Time Lord DNA suddenly clicked together. Her true name was revealed to her in a flash of stars behind her eyelids. And she knew then what she had always known to be true - she knew herself.

Opening her eyes once more, she looked out at Time. And a small voice in the back of her head began to whisper, a voice which quickly grew into a deafening roar.

"Run!"

So River Song turned from the Doctor, and ran.

* * *

_Okay, I've a request for you all. Now that you've read this chapter, can I ask you to help me by checking this fic for any spelling/grammar issues? I've no Beta reader, so any mistakes are due to me typing this late at night on my iPod. I'll fix any if you can find them! Just send me a PM telling me which chapter the error is in and what it is. Thanks a whole bunch!  
~Marchonea_


	16. Chapter 15: Run

_WOOT~ Here's today's second installment, and the last chapter of 2012! I really ope you enjoy this one! I'd like to point out that I've never written ANY Doctor Who stuff before this fic - more of a warning as I don't know that I stayed true to Matt's Doctor throughout, especially in the next chapter... So yeah, sorry if it gets a little OOC._

_Anyways, enough preamble! Enjoy and review~_

* * *

**Chapter 15: Run**

As River turned and ran, the Doctor was taken by surprise. He allowed a small smile to flick across his face as he raced after her - at least the Schism hadn't sent her mad. That at least was a good thing.

He hurtled down the stone steps, narrowly avoiding two Sisters as he went. "Sorry!" He yelled back to them over his shoulder - he didn't think they heard, but it was the thought that counted anyway.

He chased River, passing the TARDIS at high speed. Jack picked his head out of the door as the Doctor ran by - but before he could say a word the Doctor yelled "Not now Jack!" Jack pulled his best sulking face and slipped back inside the time machine. The Doctor's side began to ache beneath the bandage as his gash re-opened. Sharp needles of pain shot up from the wound as he ran after her.

River ran on blindly, putting as much space between herself and the Schism as possible. The Doctor increased his speed, hurtling after his wife across the familiar landscape. He had run this route once before, when he was eight years old. And he had been chased too.

The memory of being eight flooded his mind as he hurtled after River. He could remember clearly the fear that filled his veins as he ran, red robes flapping slightly. He could remember also the commotion behind him as two fully-fledged Time Lords chased after him. Their cloaks of red silk had snapped in the wake of their passing, and their golden headpieces had hardly slowed them.

Snapping back to the present, he caught River's arm and forced them both to a stop. He held tight as she pulled at him, trying to get away. She whirled to face him, tears streaking through down her cheeks and leaving wet tracks in the dust that had been thrown up by her sprint. Her eyes were wild and wide - terrified.

The Doctor's hearts sagged with sadness as he took in his wife - the normally bright, amazing woman whose smile could make his soul leap and his stomach tie itself into knots stood before him; weakened and broken, terrified. And he had done this. A tear grew in one eye.

River looked at him and slowly her four-beat pulse slowed to normal - well, normal for when she was in contact with her husband. She took a shaky breath. Focussing on him, she noticed the nagging voice had stopped. A small, choked sound escaped her throat and her legs gave out beneath her. She sat gasping on the ground, tears flooding her vision.

The Doctor sat down on the rocks with her and pulled her into a gentle, reassuring hug. She sobbed into his shoulder, unable to stop herself. There was a childlike air as she clutched his shoulder and cried. He stroked her hair softly, muttering reassuringly into her ear. He was panting slightly as she cried; he may be good at running, but a full-fledged sprint after someone with Time Lord stamina was a bit much for him at this age.

Eventually River pulled away, wiping her eyes. "Sorry," she said, sniffing derisively. "I... I don't know what came over me." She was embarrassed - River Song NEVER cried. But the Doctor just smiled softly and leant forward, kissing her forehead. "It's fine River. The Schism... It's something else. Don't be embarrassed!"

Together they got to their feet and headed back across the rocky landscape to the TARDIS.

Jack was pacing again when they finally returned. He grinned brightly when they came into the TARDIS. "Finally!" He exclaimed. "You took your time!"

Jack hopped down and extended his had to River. "Captain Jack Harkness. Nice to meet you." The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Jack," he said warningly, "I'd appreciate you not flirting with my wife thank you." Jack nodded an backed off. He wasn't in a mood to argue at the moment.

"Right then," the Doctor strode across to the chair by his console, where Eyphah sat slouched. "What are we going to do about her?"

Jack stood silently. He hadn't told the Doctor about his suspicions about Eyphah, and wasn't sure what they should do about the little non-human. River broke the silence, but didn't answer the Doctor's question.

"Sweetie," she said softly, "You're bleeding..." The Doctor glanced down at his side. He had taken his jacket off at the door, allowing his bandage to show. Sure enough, what had been pale pink before was now red. Red and decidedly painful.

At least his body wasn't trying to shut down this time.

The Doctor stood gently, mindful of his injury. "I'm fine," he told River calmly, giving her a smile. "Nothing time can't heal." He looked back at the ginger orphan. "Although..." He added, "I'm not sure time can fix whatever is wrong with her."

River came to his side and observed the unconscious child thoughtfully. "I don't get it, she seemed so pleasant before..." She watched as the Doctor leant forward, hissing as the movement stretched his side. Gently, he picked up the watch from around Eyphah's neck and slipped the chain over her head.

Standing, he held it out to River. She took it from him, confused, then gasped as the cold metal touched her skin.

"The singing..." She cried. The Doctor nodded. "It's stopped." He said simply. Jack stood by looking on. He didn't understand. "What do you mean? What singing has stopped? Doctor, what is going on?"

The Doctor turned to the ex-Time Agent. "Eyphah opened this pocket watch." He passed it to Jack, who examined it carefully. "Design consistent with 72nd century Midnight, metal used is Rexoclastine from Jex-3-Minor. Has a smear of blood on it here." He pointed at a patch of red smudged across one side of the watch. "Nothing particularly special according to my analysis; what of it?"

The Doctor looked Jack in the eye and explained. "Before it was opened, the watch sang- Hang on, blood?" He took the watch back. "Ah..." Glancing at Eyphah he saw the blood stain on her trousers. He touched the stain with a finger and examined it. "My blood. Joy."

Jack interrupted. "The watch, Doctor. You said it sang. What do you mean?" The Doctor looked over at him scornfully. "I mean what I said. The watch sang. Psychically, it was emitting an unending song, never repeating, yet always there."

River clarified for Jack, who still looked confused. "The watch featured an internal circuit which was transmitting a melody along a psychic wavelength."

"But that's not all," the Doctor crossed around to the other side of the console, leaning on a bannister as he twirled the watch in his hands. "You see Jack," he continued, "it wasn't any old song. The watch was playing a Gallifreyan Ballad, specifically one known as-" he said something unintelligible in Gallifreyan.

"So what?" Jack was still not getting it. "She has a watch that plays a tune that happens to match an old Gallifreyan song. What's the significance of her opening it?"

The TARDIS suddenly began to chime wildly, buzzing as alarms went off. "What's happening?" Harkness shouted as River flicked switches and toggle levers, glancing at some levels on a screen. "I don't know... Now why are you doing that old girl?" She groaned at the time machine.

"What's she doing?" The Doctor shouted over the cacophony, twisting several dials and bashing a button thrice. The noises stopped, almost reluctantly.

"She's running a scan on Eyphah," River explained. "I don't know why though..." They all glanced at the unconscious subject, who remained blissfully unaware of the attention.

Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I might know why," he began quietly. "When I was chasing Eyphah, the TARDIS refused to help out at first. The girl ran so fast for so long, it was inhuman. That's when she - the TARDIS that is - finally helped me. When I voiced my opinion that no human should be able to run like Eyphah did." There was an uncertain pause as this news sunk in.

The Doctor's voice echoed around the room. "So you're telling me," he said, "that this little girl, the girl who I picked up off of Earth and who presumably poisoned myself and River - You're telling me that she's not human?"

Jack merely nodded. "Yep."


	17. Chapter 16: Eyphah

_Yeah, I know - I've said this was coming for about two days now, before I finally posted it. I just didn't get round to it - sorry. I think I can see where this story is going now. I've finalized some ideas I've had swimming about in my head, so things should get rolling from here on out. Anyway, enjoy the chapter everyone!_

* * *

**Chapter 16: Eyphah**

It was at that moment that the young girl began to regain consciousness. Seeing the little girl begin to stir, the three adults moved in around her as she awoke. The first thing she saw was the Doctor standing before her. She jerked into full awareness very quickly.

"How?!" She squealed in surprise. She took in River and the Doctor with wide, disbelieving eyes. "But... You should be..."

"Dead?" River intersected, "Never!"

The Doctor winced at her words. From where she was, River didn't catch the motion, but Eyphah did and she pondered it. He interrupted her musings. "Why, Eyphah? Why do this?"

Eyphah just stared at him, not afraid to meet his eye. As she did so, her eyes clouded over. The Doctor held her still as she struggled against him, her breath hissing loudly between her two front teeth - which sat slightly skewed against her lower lip as she snarled at him.

Jack stepped back in shock and horror as he took this in. "What the hell?!" He shouted, reaching for his gun. River slapped his hand away from the holster without thinking. He glanced at her, then returned his attention to the Doctor.

Eyphah's eyes stayed dark as the Doctor fired questions at her. "What are you?" He asked, slightly incredulous. That she could go through such a complete transformation so fluidly and quickly caused him to feel a mixture of awe, amazement and a little bit of fear.

She looked at him through wide, dark eyes, ginger hair falling across her face. "Do you mean what species am I," she began, cocking her head. "Or do you rather mean what have I become?" A twisted grin curled around her lips as she smiled with wicked glee.

The Doctor watched the motion with trepidation. "Both."

Eyphah smirked. No one saw how, but suddenly she was away from the Doctor, moving away from him around the console. River and Jack were both on high alert, fingers twitching around gun gilts as they followed the girl's movements with keen eyes.

The Doctor got to his feet. Straightening his bow-tie, he turned to face the ginger orphan as she moved with lynx-like grave about his treasured machine. "Well, aren't you going to give me an answer?" He asked her quietly. This time, the calmness in his voice wasn't soothing - it was threatening. The mere sound of it sent shivers down River's spine - her Doctor was now extremely angry, she knew. This was not going to be pleasant for the child.

Eyphah stood still and cocked her head again. There was a small period of silence whilst she mulled things over. Then, her mind made up, she replied. "Well, my species Doctor - you really should have figured that one out by now. Go ahead and see if you can't."

The Doctor mulled the facts over in his head. "You are from Earth," he began to ramble, expressing his thoughts aloud so as not to get lost in the vastness of his own brain activity, "yet you are not human. You carry a watch that sings of the Universe, and have knowledge and darkness that should no- Oh." Something seemed to click as his brain made a connection.

"What is it sweetie?" River asked, stressfully. The Doctor began to pace slightly, ignoring his wife for the moment as he continued to talk to Eyphah. "My blood on the watch- it was locked to my DNA. DNA that then merged with yours, causing you to lose your humanity, hence the stamina. And my inner darkness, amplified by... Something in your genetic code. But how? An amplifier in a human - that's impossible!"

Eyphah smiled her sickly sneer once again. "Not impossible, Doctor," she corrected, "just highly improbable." She turned on the spot, walking back around the column towards the Doctor. This time he backed away.

"Didn't you ever think about the meaning of my given name, Doctor? I was named Eyphah by the Orphanage after all - it is not my name." Eyphah stopped again, leaning on the console slightly. "Eyphah - it's Hebrew Doctor." She smirked as he figured it out.

"Of course..." The Doctor's gaze fixed on her shadow-filled eyes as he voiced his understanding - more for Jack and River's benefit than anything else. They weren't as multi-lingual as he. "Darkness," he specified, "Eyphah is Hebrew for darkness..."

A bright, toothy smile appeared upon the child's face. "Congratulations Doctor, you got there in the end. Too late though..." The smile twisted and darkened as she stepped away from the console. "I was told you'd be bright, how disappointed I am to discover this is not the case. You see, Doctor, all this time you never noticed." She indicated her surroundings. "I was laying a signal. My way out should be here any second-" bright, blue light flooded the room "-now."

The TARDIS was full of Silences. Not only that, but the dark man with the vortex ring from the Orphanage was there too, right next to Eyphah. "The attack in the Orphanage was no accident, Doctor," he said, voice chilling as ice. "Thank you for showing Eyphah the way home."

There was another flash, and the Doctor blinked away the blinding after image the light burnt into his vision. Eyphah, the man and the Silences were gone. River and Jack looked around in confusion. The Doctor sat in his chair, head hanging slightly as he processed the information he had just received. River tapped his arm.

"Doctor," she began slowly, "You might want to see this." He looked up. River held a post-it note in one hand. "It was stuck on the console - Eyphah must have left it when she was leaning on it." She passed it to him.

The note was written in Gallifreyan, which surprised the Doctor somewhat. But it was what the note read that truly threw him. "What's this?" he mumbled, fingers tracing the outline of the circling text.

Jack glanced at the note from over his shoulder. "What does it say?" He asked. River shot him a look that he didn't understand. There was an uncomfortable silence before the Doctor replied.

"It's coordinates." He said at last.

"So?" Jack replied, not understanding the significance.

"Jack, they're written in Gallifreyan. That should be impossible…" He indicated the circling matrix sketched onto the yellow note, "Specifically these are the coordinates of a small planet known as Jideofor."

"So what do we do now?" Jack asked.

"Well," River spoke up again, "I don't know about you, but I rather feel like a trip." She bonked a few parts of the TARDIS and popped some coordinates in to the display. "We're off to see what this is all about. Destination: Jideofor."


	18. Chapter 17: In The Wake

_Hello again! I'm sorry - I got a bit behind with posting. I'm writing Chapter 21 right now... Anyway, I'm posting two chapters right now, and probably another tomorrow. That should bring us roughly up to date. And we have longer chapters again... I dunno how...  
Anyway, Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 17: In The Wake**

Jack walked around the console behind River, watching as she efficiently set the TARDIS on route to Jideofor. Once she was satisfied with her input, she turned to face Jack. The Doctor had vanished within the TARDIS, walking off down the maze of corridors quietly in order to think a little while earlier, so it was just the two of them.

"What was she?" Jack asked tentatively, still confused by this turn of events. "She never answered that question..."

River sighed. "On some level," she said, "Eyphah is - was - human. Beyond that..." She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm sorry Jack, I'm as stumped as you."

River touched his shoulder lightly, then walked off. Navigating the TARDIS with ease, she went in search of her husband, leaving Jack alone with the console, listening to the hum of life within the ship as he mulled over his thoughts.

Several long corridors, three lefts, six doors, seven rights and five sets of stairs later, River found the Doctor right where she had expected to find him.

He had gone to his room to mull things over, not trusting his emotions in front of Jack. River found him sitting on the edge of his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The top of the room was a giant window into space, projected by the TARDIS for him. At the moment, the view was panning across the constellation of Ursa Minor.

River sat next to him, placing one arm around his shoulders. "Hello Sweetie." She said softly, pulling him towards her gently. He leant towards her touch, allowing himself to relax slightly in her presence. He rested his head on her shoulder.

"River..." He muttered her name quietly under his breath. "What are we going to do?" He asked her, voice still low. Not for the first time, River saw her husband was at a loss. She stroked his hair gently as she thought.

Was it really that surprising that he was handling this badly? After all, it was not every day that you discovered that your teenaged, overwhelmingly human passenger was actually a member of an unknown species and seemed set on killing you. Well, actually, in the Doctor's life it almost was everyday. But what had truly thrown him was the Gallifreyan.

Aside from the Time Lords and the Sisters of Infinity, no-one in the universe could understand the language - excluding River herself. It was far too complex for most life forms to attempt to understand, and even then, overlapping two sets of co-ordinates was an impressive feat. Eyphah was definitely a bit of a curve ball, it would seem.

"I don't know, sweetie. All we can do is follow her hint and go to Jideofor. Maybe things will make more sense once we get there." River replied honestly, her voice calm. The Doctor stiffened.

Gently, so as not to unsettle his wife, he sat up. He took in the sight of her before him for a second. The light of the galaxies and stars shining through his ceiling illuminated River's flamboyant hair and cast her entire being in a very flattering manner.

"River," He spoke slowly, tentatively. He took her hand in his and stroked the back of it gently. Sighing softly, he raised his gaze to meet hers. There was great depth in his eyes as he let his usual barriers fall down. River looked into those great, sad orbs and saw his age staring out at her - the tales of journeys, adventures and loss shone out at her as she gazed into those dark, ancient eyes.

"River, I wasn't talking about that. You know what I mean..." His voice was so quiet that it was a wonder she heard him at all. Yet hear him she did, and understand him she did all the more clearly. Now it was she who sought comfort, leaning into him as tears prickled in the backs of her eyes.

"I... I don't know about that either." She whispered, praying her voice didn't warble as much as she feared it might. She shifted slightly against him, coming into contact with his bandage.

Jerking back, River glanced up at his face. The Doctor winced slightly, but smiled down at her. "Definitely on the mend," he said. "Shouldn't take more than a few hours for me to recover fully now."

The room around them began to glow a pale blue, and they heard the sound of the TARDIS' brakes screeching as she began to land. River raised an eyebrow at her husband, who smirked and waggled the sonic. "I left you in the control room. I knew you'd turn them off, so long ago I fixed this up to put them back on remotely. Sorry love."

River smiled as he stood, going to the door. "Yet you still refuse to get the old girl to give it a setting for wood..." The Doctor paused in the doorway, looking back at her as she began to follow him. A grin splashed across his face as he left the room without another word.

River smirked slightly then shot after him, following him back to where they'd left Jack.


	19. Chapter 18: Of Answers And Questions

_Okay, here's today's second installment. I've noticed that most of this fiction feels a little filler-ish. Sorry, I'm not that good at writing confrontations or battles. And my plotline and subplots require a lot of setting up within the story, so this is necessary. Again, please tell me if you spot a mistake, and sorry if things get OOC. I try, but re-watching past Doctors whilst writing isn't great for retaining Matt's take on the role. Sorry.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter 18: Of Answers And Questions**

Jack stood up when the couple entered the room. Without speaking, they swiftly began checking the scanners and performing landing checks. Jack watched the Doctor and smirked. "You were never this careful in your last incarnation; what happened to you when you regenerated Doctor?"

"Hmm?" The Doctor replied vaguely, twiddling a dial on the scanner. He glanced at Jack. "Well, I got younger, met River's Mum, got older and learnt how to fly my TARDIS." He flashed Jack a grin.

River scoffed. "You mean I taught you how to fly your TARDIS. Or, future me did anyway. Will do... Whatever." The Doctor smiled again. "Ah, Spoilers!" He said, winking at his wife.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Not you as well?" He asked, referring to River's catchphrase. "C'mon Doc, isn't one irritating person enough for the immortal to put up with?"

The Doctor glanced at Jack through the central column of the TARDIS. "Nope!" A wide grin cracked across his face as the TARDIS settled completely, an event that occurred simultaneously to River announcing the all clear from the scanners.

The Doctor bounded across to the TARDIS doors. "Who else is ready to find out about Eyphah?" He asked as he pulled the double doors wide open. He moved to one side, allowing River and Jack to pass by him before following them onto the planet's surface.

The land around them was grey all over. But not a boring grey like the one Eyphah had grown up in, this grey was gleaming. The rocky surface of the planet was smooth and rounded, almost pebble like. The whole planet had once been covered in fast-flowing water, and these mixed currents had caused the now-dry surface to be covered with strangle, lilting sculptures soaring towards the sky, everything smooth to the touch. The sun was shining down overhead, causing the rock to feel warm. However, it wasn't too hot - just pleasantly warm.

As the trio took in the uniqueness of the planet's surface, they spotted something at odds with their surroundings. About 50 feet away stood a ginger in a loose purple top and jeans. It was Eyphah. The Doctor raised a hand in greeting.

They met roughly halfway, about 20 feet from the TARDIS. River and Jack flanked the Doctor, hands not straying from their guns as unease washed over them.

"Relax, you two, I mean your group no harm." Eyphah spoke quietly, yet with a subtle speed and urgency. Close up, they could see that this Eyphah was older than the one they had just left by about three years, bringing her age up to 18. They moved their hands away from their respective blasters, yet remained on edge.

"Before we begin," Eyphah spoke again, ginger hair bobbing in a slight breeze, "let me tell you the rules of Jideofor. You will find yourselves unable to break them, but knowing them first will make things easier. Rule One - only the truth can be spoken here. Jideofor is one of only two planets where this is the case, the other being Trenzalore."

The Doctor and River flinched at the name, knowing that that particular planet lay ahead of the Doctor still. Eyphah continued.

"Rule Two - if the same question is asked thrice, an answer MUST be given. And Rule Three - unlike on Trenzalore, you have some limited control as to the amount of truth spoken here. Choose your words with care."

The three nodded to show their understanding of these conditions. The Doctor spoke first. "Who are you, Eyphah?"

The girl seemed to balk a little before replying hesitatingly. "I am not Eyphah, yet Eyphah is me. I cannot tell you who I am just yet, Doctor."

River raised an eyebrow. "What are you then?" She asked, trying to gain at least some understanding of this mysterious young woman. Again, the question seemed off putting for her.

"I cannot tell you that either. I'm sorry. What I can tell you, however, is that what you seek is very near. Lost for so long, yet found long ago. Your search is nearing its conclusion."

At these words, River gasped. Her hand flew to her heart, touching her breastbone. She leant in to the Doctor as he wrapped an arm around her, muttering some words in Gallifreyan down her ear. He faced the girl once again, but Jack had started talking.

"So, you know Gallifreyan. How?" He asked, not unkindly. The girl looked flustered, but looked him in the eye as she answered. "I was taught it by one who has cause to know the language well. I can tell you no more."

The Doctor addressed the ginger teenager again, an odd look in his eye. "What is your birth name?" Not-Eyphah smiled at him sadly, unable to meet his eye. "It is known to you, Doctor. But I cannot - must not - tell you. Not yet. I'm so sorry." He merely nodded.

River was about to speak again when it happened. There was a crack like thunder that bounced off of the rocks. Then there was darkness. It swirled upwards, grasping Not-Eyphah by the wrists and ankles like manacles. She shrieked at them - "Get away! You'll find more co-ordinates under the console seat in the TARDIS - I'll meet you there! GO!" Then the darkness surrounded her, and Not-Eyphah vanished.

Taking her truthful words to heart, the three ran. Together they ran for the TARDIS, reaching the safety of the doors moments before the darkness could consume them. They stood panting just within the doorway, catching their breath.

Jack looked down at himself. "Great..." He groaned, and then collapsed dead on the floor. The Doctor and River pulled back a little. Blood was staining the front of Jack's shirt, spreading out from a bullet wound. That's when they realized. The cracking they'd heard earlier. It had been the sound of a gun firing.

* * *

_So, I know. Not the best cliffhanger ever. However, I wanted to kill. Not literally, but... In an interview, a writer for DW once said something like;  
"Death is a big thing in Doctor Who. Sometimes I'll write 20 pages and think 'Oh, that's odd. No-one's died yet.' And I'll put a death in. It feels wrong otherwise."  
So, I killed. This is a sort-of tribute to mark reaching just over 23 pages on Word. YAY!_


	20. Chapter 19: Painful Memories

_Hello again! This is the last installment of the weekend. I'd say we'll have over 25 chapters in the end, but I'm still on Chapter 21. That should be done in the next day or two. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. This is more of a filler chapter, but don't worry! Chapter 20 is next, and in that I reveal my sub-plot. Be sure to double check previous chapters to see how it all links in!  
Enjoy!  
SPOILERS FOR THE ANGELS TAKE MANHATTAN  
Oh - stuff in italics is a flashback by the way. Thought I'd make that clear._

* * *

**Chapter 19: Painful Memories**

There was a sharp intake of air as Jack returned to the land of the living. "GAH! I hate doing that!" He yelled, lurching into a sitting position. "It's really not fair - Why'd they shoot me?"

The Doctor merely shrugged at him, saying "Well, at least they had the decency to shoot the immortal rather than someone who would stay dead." Jack gave him a pointed look. "Okay, rather than someone who would die OR regenerate!" He amended hastily. River was busy peeling a yellow sticky note off of the bottom of the chair beside the console. When she stood up again, the Doctor was at her shoulder almost instantly. "What does it say?" He asked in a hushed tone, absentmindedly pulling a pair of round spectacles out of his pocket. Jack made a small start.

"Brainy specs! You don't change all that much, do you Doctor? I mean, you physically change yes, but your behaviour?" He grinned, indicating the glasses. But his words - meant to be light with jest, fell upon flat ears as the Doctor looked at the glasses with sadness in his eyes, memories of his past filling his vision...

_He was sat with Amy on a grassy knoll in Manhattan. Amy handed him her reading glasses kindly, allowing him to see what difference they made. Glancing back down at his book, he exclaimed when he realised how much more clearly he was able to read._

He had borrowed the glasses, but Amy had never come back from Manhattan, so they had never been given back. The Doctor glanced at River, nodded lightly in answer to her silent question - are they hers? And they shared a moment of silence, indulging in their final moments with the bright, ginger Scott...

_Amy stood in front of a Weeping Angel, tears streaming down her cheeks. Rory was gone, and River egged her on down the path of the choice Amy had already decided to make. The Doctor stood behind her, crying out for her to come away, to see reason. But Amy Pond knew. It was time for her to go - to grow old with Rory. Crying, she spoke the last words the Doctor and River would ever hear from her; "Raggedy Man," she turned her back on the Angel, "Goodbye."_

_And Amelia Pond was gone._

Jack came forward a bit, confused by their reaction. When River looked across at him, her eyes were filled with tears. As were the Doctor's. Jack realised that the glasses must have belonged to someone very important. "I'm sorry..." He said quietly, bowing his head out of respect.

The small silence that followed was broken before things could get worse. "So, the note River?" The Doctor asked, peering over her shoulder again. The offending glasses had been returned to his pocket. River passed him the post-it, walking toward the console to begin preparing the TARDIS for flight. Jack looked at the Doctor. "Where are we of to now then, Doctor? What does it say?"

The Doctor was standing very still, silent and unnerving. "Doctor?" Jack asked again, tapping him on the shoulder. Yet the Doctor continued to stare at the yellow slip of paper. River glanced up. "What is it?" She asked "Sweetie, what's wrong?" With fluidity and no small amount of grace, River skirted the console and came to her husband's side. She looked at the piece of paper between his fingers and bit her lip.

"What does it say?" Jack asked clearly, frustrated. River glanced at him and said something in Gallifreyan to the Doctor. He nodded, smiling at her gently. He squeezed her arm and then began to pilot his machine through the Time Vortex. River approached Jack. "It's more coordinates." she explained simply.

"But they mean something to you - what?" Jack pressed for information. He hate not knowing everything there was to a situation - it put you at a disadvantage should things get nasty. River replied hesitantly.

"The Doctor and I... Lost something there. Not all that long ago. During the Time that Almost Was. The Would-Be End." Her eyes reflected the pain and loss of the aborted timeline. Jack nodded. He hadn't been there, but Torchwood had kept up to date with that particular event in all its horrendous splendour. He allowed the subject to sit for a minute before asking the obvious question. "Where are we going?"

The Doctor answered. "To the start and end of all things. To a convergence that is a divergence. To the greatest middle point in existence." He flashed Jack a slightly lopsided grin. "Basically; we're going to the center of the Universe."


	21. Chapter 20: Honesty

_Okay! Howdy all! This is the first chapter that I'm really anxious about posting... I hope no-one thinks this is a bad turn for the story...  
Anyway, enjoy this chapter!, even if it's a little short..._

* * *

**Chapter 20: Honesty**

The TARDIS ground to a halt abruptly. The Doctor had flown her the whole time and had typically, much to River's dismay, left the brakes on. Again. River placed her hand on a wall, attempting to sooth her. Her husband's 'landing' was anything but peaceful for the old girl.

The Doctor looked up from where he was wrestling with the controls. "We're here." His voice sounded ominous to Jack, but River found it fitting. When the door opened, she knew what she would face. She didn't want to go through that again.

Jack stood by the door, prepared to go first. "After all," he'd rationalized, "I'm immortal. If they've laid a trap, I'll just spring it and then you guys can take over. I'll catch up later if I'm... Detained for whatever reason."

The Doctor found River's hand and gave it a squeeze - as much for her comfort as for his own. Shoulder to shoulder, they nodded at Jack, who swung open the doors. The memories that seized them were almost too much to bear, but River and the Doctor struggled to overcome them. After what felt like an age of anxiety, they moved and stood beside Jack beyond the TARDIS' walls.

There was a small planet at the centre of the universe - this was where they had landed. White in appearance, it was made of a substance that looked like a cross between glass and marble with great, swirling trails of something like Tiger's Eye running through it.

The Doctor flicked his wrist and glanced at his watch. "I've overshot a little..." He admitted sheepishly to an impatient crew.

"By how much?" River asked indulgently. Jack huffed and crouched down, examining the planet's surface.

The Doctor grinned. "An hour. Pretty good really." River looked impressed, then strode back towards the TARDIS. "Well," she called back. "You coming? I'm not going to wait out here." The Doctor began to follow her, but Jack shouted back. "Should I give you some alone time?"

River and the Doctor laughed. "Lovely though that'd be," River replied, "I don't believe that will be necessary. Come along Harkness!" Jack stood and followed the pair back in to the Time Machine.

The moment the doors closed, Jack spoke. "Okay - we may not be taking the long path out there, but I need a serious word with you two. We're about to go into a situation which we do not yet understand fully - potentially a risky situation to be in. So I propose that you share with me whatever it is that's going on here. I mean, sure - if I die as a result of not knowing it's not a huge issue, but I wanna know." He crossed his arms and leant against the interior TARDIS wall, waiting.

River and the Doctor exchanged a glance, then the Doctor beckoned to them both. "So be it." He said. "Come with me, we'll discuss this in the library." They set off down the maze of corridors.

The TARDIS library was huge. Containing millions of books, all translated by the TARDIS so as that you could read them no matter what you were fluent in, it was one of the most awe-inspiring places that Jack had ever been in. The Doctor and River sat down on a small leather couch, beckoning for Jack to take the matching armchair in front of them. He sat, and was pleasantly surprised when a drink appeared on the coffee table before him. "You might not like me, but you sure know what I'm like! Thanks!" He addressed the ship kindly. She hummed in agreement.

Taking a sip of his cocktail, Jack waited for the story to begin. It took a few minutes for the Doctor to gather his thoughts before he began.

"You know of the Time that Almost Was, The Would-Be End. We were there. And it was terrible. The horrors you could see dance upon this very planet - they're impossible to describe. And we suffered a great loss during that period. You see, we were out there, trying to send back these monstrosities, when they took her. Something, someone - we don't know. And we don't know where either. But you see, what we do know, Jack, is this; whatever or whoever it was - it took our daughter."


	22. Chapter 21: Explanations

_Hello! How is everyone? I hope you're all well. Anyway, again - I have two chapters for you. Seriously, I'm really sorry that I keep taking so long. With this fic nearing completion (will be about 25 chapters, excluding prologue and epilogue) and school beginning to prepare for the Mocks, life is getting a bit much so this story is slowing down. But never fear; there's plenty more inside my head to come for these characters!  
Anyway; enjoy your double-dosage of chapters today!_

* * *

**Chapter 21: Explanations**

Jack spluttered and choked on his drink. "Daughter? You two have a kid? How?"

River laughed. "I think you know how-"

Jack intercepted her point. "Yes, yes, but such pleasant topics aside. Are you two even compatible? I mean, human and Time Lord..."

River spoke again. "Indeed, human DNA is incompatible with Time Lord DNA. However, I'm not human. Not completely. I'm human plus Time Lord. So we're compatible enough to have children."

Jack looked at them sorrowfully, remembering a dark time in his own history. He didn't have a good track record when it came to families. "What was her name?" He asked gently. The sadness in the Doctor and River's eyes was almost too much to bear; remembering the time before their daughter was gone would be easier for them.

"Blysse. We called her Blysse." River spoke, a smile playing on her lips. She looked at her husband, who continued. "Oh Jack, you should've seen her. She was the most beautiful little baby. And when she was a toddler, she wouldn't let go of my legs. Ever."

River laughed lightly, voice shimmering with remembered love and care "I thought she'd forsaken me for a while! It'd be typical for her to cause you to crash the TARDIS!" The Doctor laughed too. Jack smiled sadly.

"And then, when she was about four, do you remember?" River smiled broadly. The Doctor gasped. "Oh yes! She got a bunch of wires from the TARDIS and turned her favourite plastic elephant into a robotic plastic elephant with its own artificial intelligence. You could see the Time Lord in her!"

They continued to reminisce for a few more minutes, working their way up through the years. Then their faces fell. Jack leant forward, paying apt attention. This was when they lost her.

"She was nine..." River said sadly, grasping the Doctor's arm as sadness washed over her. "Nine years old. The Would-Be End came. We watched as hell tore its way out on this planet. And as we watched, we knew we'd have to help. We couldn't say no. It wouldn't have been morally right. But whilst we helped..." She gave in, looking at the Doctor for support. He finished for her. "They took her." He spoke so softly that Jack almost couldn't hear him. But the sadness in his voice was so deep... The Doctor hung his head slightly.

"Don't worry about that right now," Jack said finally. He didn't want to sound rude, but having looked at his watch, he had realised that they were out of time.

"I'm sure you'll find her eventually. But right now, we have to deal with Eyphah. Then I promise to help you with Blysse any way I can." Jack smiled at them kindly as they stood to leave. "Thank you, Jack." River said quietly as she passed him on her way to the door. The Doctor followed her, Jack coming through last.

They exited the TARDIS again just in time to catch Eyphah's arrival. There was a crackle through the air as she coalesced about five feet above the planet's surface with a flash of blue electricity. Her shock of orange curls bounced merrily, in starch contrast to her expression.

Her face was drawn and pale, her eyes wide with fear and anxiety. She was older again, perhaps twenty. She was thin - too thin, like she hasn't been eating properly. And she was writhing in intense pain.


	23. Chapter 22: Trapped

_And here's today's second installment. Enjoy!_

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__**Chapter 22: Trapped**

"Stay back!" She yelled as she fell to the planet's surface, shaking uncontrollably as her limbs flailed about of their own accord. Jack and River jerked back, but the Doctor kept creeping towards her.

"NO!" She yelled at him, her voice ringing out clearly across the planet surface. The Doctor stumbled backwards. She had shouted in Gallifreyan.

Seconds later, dark clouds coalesced in the air around the travellers. Eyphah's eyes filled with tears as she observed them - trapped, and herself useless. The dark shapes came into focus, revealing men and women. Human in appearance, both genders sported straight black hair and purple eyes. All were dressed in flowing robes of the deepest black-blue.

Eyphah's eyes clouded suddenly and she spoke with a passionate voice, shaking with anger. "You have brought this upon yourself, Doctor! The future you will shape is wrong, and I intend to fix it!"

The army of people stood stock still until Eyphah slashed her hand through the air. Responding to her signal, the mass was suddenly full of movement and the sound of rippling fabric filled the air. The strangers began to advance.

River and Jack pulled their guns, aiming at the robed figures. The Doctor pulled his sonic, not quite having the same effect as the end lit up green. They formed a circle.

"Sweetie, not to hurry you, but this is when you normally have a REALLY good idea!" River called to her husband.

"Uhh, in this instance run doesn't seem to be an option!" Jack called, his gun whizzing as he prepared to fire at the approaching, silent army of people.

The Doctor floundered. "I have a thing. Sort of a plan, but kinda..."

He was cut off mid-sentence. They all were. For behind the layers of people advancing, there was a sudden cry. The sound came from Eyphah.

The mass of strangers parted slightly before the trio, allowing them to see Eyphah. She stood crouched over herself, hands buried in her hair, screaming. She was in intense pain, fighting some sort of unseen foe.

"Whatever it is, it's in her mind..." River whispered into the Doctor's ear. He glanced at her side on, and she nodded. The Doctor grimaced slightly. He hated doing this.

River stayed beside him, gun still drawn at the - now motionless - army of robed beings before them, as the Doctor closed his eyes. He opened his mind, careful to pull a barrier down in front of everything within in case of any prying eyes - he didn't want a repeat of Reinette.

Reaching out, he found Eyphah's mind with little difficulty. Long range was always difficult to achieve with telepathy, but Eyphah's mind stood wide open as a fierce battle raged within. The Doctor moved to investigate further, and gasped out loud at what he found.

"Two beings," he explained, for the sakes of River and Jack. "Two living minds within one head, fighting for control of the physical form. Amazing..." He opened his eyes.

Eyphah straightened, eyes dark once again. "Kill them!" She shrieked, beckoning the army. The Doctor began to talk at a million miles an hour. "We have to sever the link. I saw it in her mind - she's the link for the army, stop her controlling them and they fall apart." He waved his sonic at the pressing crowd, uneasy. Jack spoke next.

"Alright, sever the link. Easy..." He pointed his gun at the ginger, looking down the barrel to aim it. "...Bingo." He squeezed the trigger.


	24. Chapter 23: Into The Dark

_Hiya! I know; it's been to long. Sorry. I have now finished writing this fic; I'm going to post a chapter a day or so for a while until it's all up. There's another 4 Chapters and an Epilogue after this. Things might get a little sappy and OOC, but hey - it's called FANfiction for a reason.  
Enjoy~_

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**Chapter 23: Into The Dark**

The Doctor and River watched as the bullet hit home, striking Eyphah square in the chest. She stumbled backwards, but remained standing. "You'll have to do better than that," she hissed. Jack obliged, firing a second shot. It was another direct hit.

Eyphah fell to the ground, gasping. The crowd stopped, flickered, then faded from view, leaving purple clouds behind. The trio ran to her side, observing as her eyes flicked between normal and dark. When her eyes where normal she murmured "Thank you..."

She lay, dying, between them, when three figures stepped out of the clouds as the purple cleared. Jack leapt to his feet, gun raised at the figures. The leader raised their hands.

"Hey now, don't get feisty..." A woman's voice. She drew down her hood, and Jack found himself looking into alien eyes. Alien eyes in a face of human appearance.

Or at least, it looked human at first glance. But the skin was pale orange, lightening to yellow over the high cheekbones. Her lips stood red, whilst her hair, eyebrows and eyelashes were white. She blinked, cocking her head to one side. Her eyelids were vertical slits, and as her neck moved it bent like a snake's tail. She smiled.

"Captain Jack Harkness. Pleasure to meet you face to face. And your friends. The Doctor and his killer, the infamous River Song. Well met." She inclined her head to the pair.

River and the Doctor were at Eyphah's side. River held the girl's head in her lap, whilst the Doctor held one of her hands and offered her reassurance. River leaned over and kissed her forehead. When her blonde curls moved away, Eyphah lay completely still.

"Dead," Jack said softly. He glanced at the woman before him. "Whatever it was you wanted her for, it's pointless now."

The woman shrugged. "Wrong."

Jack stood his ground. "I shot her. Twice. With this gun." He raised the pistol. "No one can survive two direct shots to the heart except me."

The woman laughed chillingly. "And we have three hearts Harkness. Sadly, the carrier you see before you had only the one. Shame."

Jack squinted slightly. "Carrier? What do you mean by that?" The woman smiled. One of her companions supplied an answer for her. "Wait and see for yourself." They gestured in Jack's direction with a cloaked arm.

From behind him, Jack heard the Doctor and River gasp. He spun round to see what was happening.

Eyphah lay where she had been, but the two had moved away. Her skin was glowing, and tiny orbs of light were drifting from it. Streams of the glow were surrounding her, filling the air around her. She rose upwards slowly, standing at full height. And exploded with light.

"Is she... Regenerating?" Jack shouted past the storm of energy. The Doctor and River retreated to by him. They looked as shocked as he did. Then, something changed.

The normally golden glow was replaced by a flickering mess of black and white. And Eyphah let out a chilling shriek.


	25. Chapter 24: Truth Never Lies

_Here you go~ Chapter 24!_  
_Once I finish uploading all the Chapters, I'm going to go back and remove all my Author's Notes. Just thought I'd tell you in advance. I haven't started the others in this series yet, but I am slowly working through my Torchwood story. It'll have at least a T rating though._  
_Anyway, Enjoy~_

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**Chapter 24: Truth Never Lies**

Eyphah stood doubled over, still surrounded by the whirling mass of white and black. She threw back her head, screeching as something ripped itself from her body. Something dark and cloud-like.

The woman jerked, smacking the cloaked figure to her right. They rushed forward, throwing back his hood. His skin was green, in stark contrast to the woman. He bent forward and breathed the smoky substance in, then collapsed.

Eyphah crumpled once again, no longer lit up so strangely. Her skin held an orange glow, her eyes were tinted with yellow, but it was as if someone had frozen her in the early stages of a regeneration.

River rushed forward, attending to Eyphah, whilst the Doctor slowly approached the man on the floor. Jack watched from beside the woman as the Doctor crouched beside the man.

The Doctor watched in mild surprise as the man's skin started to change colour. Slowly the green gave way to pale blue, his hair from moss to ice. And as he watched, he noticed something else. He was becoming a she.

Next to Eyphah, River gasped. She was staring at the girl with wide eyes as she lay limp in her arms, ginger hair splayed out and bright green eyes beginning to full and flicker as she bled. "Doctor," River shouted, "Doctor!"

He turned. "Wha-" he looked at River, and he saw the girl. He stepped towards them, his eyes widening in disbelief. "How didn't we see...?"

The man - woman now - cut him off. She raised herself from the floor and dusted herself down. "Perception filter, one of mine," she spoke again before the Doctor could interject. "Please, spare me the I-Care-About-Your-Lies speech - you didn't bother in the future, so spare me it now. I'm Eyphah. And you; you are the Doctor, Destroyer of Worlds. I should know..."

Eyphah's eyes grew distant as she recalled an event long since passed. She hissed angrily, and the red woman flinched. Eyphah noticed her and her hooded companion suddenly.

"So, Ula, you came after all," she hissed, "Why are you here then, hmm? Out of duty or out of guilt?" Eyphah circled the red woman like a hunter inspecting its wounded prey. The woman - Ula - stood firm and raised her chin in defiance.

"Neither," she spat, "We're here to stop you! Donahue!" She gestured at the cloaked figure beside her. He didn't move. She gestured again. "What are you waiting for? Get her!"

But Donahue had other ideas. Ula tried to turn around to face the insubordinate male, but was stopped partway through the movement - stopped by a blade stabbing into her back.

"Donahue...?" Ula's voice was weak. He ripped the blade back out of her back and stepped over her as she crumpled to the ground. The Doctor was by her immediately, watching as River cradled the girl. He knew who she was now, and she was certainly not called Eyphah.

The real Eyphah laughed coldly - it sounded more like broken glass hitting a stone floor. She addressed the fallen red woman with relentless anger, spittle flying from the corners of her mouth as she raved. "You were always so sure of yourself, Ula. So blind to yourself. That was your greatest downfall. You looked out at the worlds through rose tinted glasses. But Donahue was smarter - Did you really think I would make this move without backup? Ha!"

Another cackle bubble up from within Eyphah's chest. This time Donahue joined in. The effect was deeply disturbing. Ula groaned from the floor, trying to disguise the pain she was in.

"Oh shut up! That cackling is giving me a headache..." Complained Jack, loudly. Too loudly it would seem, for the moment the words were out of his mouth, Donahue moved. He snapped Jack's neck with agile ease. Ula screamed at him, but he ignored her, facing the time travellers. "He was unnecessary," he said deeply. The Doctor stared at him.

He wasn't that surprised or bothered about Jack. When you're immortal, you can say those kinds of rash things, and you don't expect your friends to freak when you're killed for it.

No, the Doctor was staring at Donahue. In attacking Jack he'd allowed his hood to fall back, revealing his face. It was the man from the Orphanage; the man whom the Doctor had found tearing memories from Eyphah's head. Or rather, copying Not-Eyphah's memories for some obscure reason.

It was now that Not-Eyphah managed to speak. She was dying, slowly losing her grip on this world as she was pulled into the next. And yet, even as her last breath began to rise within her, Not-Eyphah managed to say a single word. A family name, to be precise. And not any old family name either, this one was Gallifreyan. And it made River and the Doctor stare at the child as the last layer of the perception filter melted away.

Not-Eyphah spoke a combination word; a family name. The combination word meant "Doctor and River". And there was only one child in all creation who could know that word in the context it was in.

Blysse.

* * *

By the way - Ula means 'Red'. Every name in my story has a meaning - feel free to look them up!


	26. Chapter 25: Of Life And Death

_Long Chapter! Yep, uploading 2 today as I got bored... Hopefully River isn't TOO OOC... Enjoy~_

* * *

**Chapter 25: Of Life And Death**

River clutched at her daughter as she coughed up blood. She stared up at the Doctor with wide, pleading eyes. "Help her!" She yelled, distraught. River couldn't bear the idea of losing her daughter permanently having just found her.

The Doctor floundered. He was at a loss over what to do; his only surviving flesh and blood was dying before him. He knelt next to her, and took her hand in his. "Regenerate," he pleaded softly.

From behind him, Eyphah's laughing intensified. "Oh you wonderful idiot," she said, "She can't! I took her regenerations from her in order to build my own life anew! Donahue helped in that regard, as he did clearing a space for me in her mind and setting up the perfect alibi by giving me her memories. Oh, and removing her first 9 years of her memory - a stroke of genius! It allowed me to rest without fear of her spoiling my plan. I knew you'd find her eventually, so I set up a false memory and a perception filter. That way she could get close to you without either realising the search was over. That way I could bring you here!"

She glanced at the Doctor's side, to where his bandage was still strongly attached. He was almost healed now, but not quite.

"I knew then that it would only be a matter of time before we ran into my minions, the Silence. They were only too happy to spill your blood for me. You do realise that that wound was never intended to be fatal? That is an honour promised to me!"

River saw a slight change in the Doctor's posture and shifted her weight to the balls of her feet. This would not end well.

"You said I would do something in the future. You do realise that going back on my timeline will cause a paradox?" He asked. He sounded remarkably calm; considering his daughter was dying.

Eyphah laughed again. "Don't you see? I've already caused a paradox just by bringing you here! Donahue; show them."

But Donahue did not show anyone anything. As the Doctor felt a pressure in his mind - Eyphah was telepathically pushing against Donahue - something unexpected happened.

Donahue's normally black eyes flashed brilliant orange, and he crumpled lifeless to the floor. He'd killed himself, silently and without any explanation. Seconds later, Ula joined him in the world beyond. Eyphah stopped laughing. "I am the last..." She said softly. "The last of my kind. Officially and forever."

The Doctor snapped. "You've killed so many people," he exclaimed, "and you have the indecency to sound pleased with that? My daughter is DYING and you really don't care, do you?"

The Doctor continued to rage at the alien before him as Jack snuck up behind her. Eyphah froze as Jack dug the barrel of his pistol into her back; his laser weapon now out of charge.

"Tell us how to heal Blysse," he said coldly, "or I will kill you. Unlike the Doctor, myself and River are decidedly trigger happy. Now start talking." He pressed the barrel of his Webley harder against the blue flesh to emphasise his point.

Eyphah attempted a laugh that stuck in her throat. She hadn't counted on Jack, that much was clear. She coughed lightly and spoke to him in an ice cold voice.

The words she said had no translation into English as River listened. The TARDIS couldn't - or perhaps wouldn't - translate the conversation. The Doctor didn't understand either; Time Lords weren't taught this language it would seem. But he knew what it was. "Old Boeshanian," he breathed.

Jack clearly understood every word. Eyphah's words were meant for him alone and they burnt ice cold in his heart, hurting him more than any blade ever could. He stood still, quivering for a moment, then sagged.

The Doctor and River watched with growing anxiety as Eyphah stood up. She turned to face Jack, saying a couple more words to him. Their anxiety turned to horror as Jack's face - visible over Eyphah's shoulder - contorted with pain. Eyphah drew back, a blade shining wetly in her palm as Jack crumpled to the ground, dead. Again.

She turned to face the small family. "I'd do something about her if I were you." She guests red at Blysse, smiling coldly.

"We would," spat River, "if you'd tell us how to help her." She cradled her daughter's head in her hands. Eyphah remained silent. Blysse reached out a hand, weakly grasping River's wrist.

"Eyphah..." Her voice was terribly weak, straining with pain. Blysse looked with pity in her eyes at the blue creature before her. "You can't afford for me to die," she coughed, "but you don't want me to live."

Eyphah's grin faltered. The young adult was right. She whirled to face the Doctor full on. "I wanted tiger back at you for what you did to me, only I discovered that you'd already taken care of the exact same job yourself. So I went for the next best thing; your new family. I sent Donahue here to catch the girl; he did splendidly. He checked on her every year in the Orphanage, locking her sense of self away with me in a small pocket watch, set to your pure DNA. And you walked almost willingly straight back to her. You released me, allowing me to take over her form until I could take that of my own species once again. But I didn't count on one thing."

She paused. The Doctor and River stayed silent. They didn't know what to say. Eyphah looked down, appearing almost timed. But her eyes said that she was angry with herself for not taking complete control.

"We're connected," Blysse whimpered weakly, "As I die, she dies with me. And Eyphah needs to live. She wanted me to die to hurt you," she indicated the Doctor, "but now she can't finish her plan. She's stuck."

Eyphah grinned wolfishly. She whirled once again to face the Doctor. "I'm not afraid to admit that." She leant closer and whispered in his ear. "Revenge, Doctor. Revenge for the future."

Drawing back slightly, Eyphah continued, her voice cracking slightly. "And I'm so sorry, Doctor, but the future - my past - is too great to be forgiven."

Eyphah took a lengthy step back. Her eyes glinted - she'd made up her mind. Picking up the long, dark cloak as an old-fashioned lady would a long dress, Eyphah stormed across to River, gesturing that she be allowed to hold Blysse. Reluctantly, River allowed this.

Eyphah knelt down and whispered something in Blysse's ear. The ginger woman's eyes widened and she stared at the blue alien. Then she went still. Her eyes glazed over and River let out a chilling cry as Jack lurched back to life.

Eyphah's voice was quiet as she whispered a single sentence. The sentence was clear as cut crystal despite its low volume and the commotion around her as River wept over Blysse's still body and Jack caught up. "Death and Life," she said, "One cannot be without the other."

And Eyphah began to fade from existence.


	27. Chapter 26: Death Will Out

_I know, I didn't upload yesterday... Sorry. I did upload two the day before though, so I'm not in debt to you guys! Only one more Chapter and the Epilogue after this; thanks everyone for reading my fic and giving me the confidence to complete it. I've never finished a fic before!_  
_Enjoy~_

* * *

**Chapter 26: Death Will Out**

"Tell us how to bring her back!" River yelled at the vanishing Eyphah. The Doctor tried to say something about how that would result in Eyphah surviving to wreak havoc, but River silenced him.

"This is our daughter who just died," she snapped, "You don't want to lose your family again do you?!" At this the Doctor bowed his head, straightening his bow-tie as his hair flopped over his face. River was right.

Eyphah smiled to herself and began to speak. She was answering River's question, but not in a way anyone was expecting.

"Blysse S. - that's what you called your daughter, is it not? S could stand for Sigma or Song - you were never sure which was more appropriate. It was the latter, I'll have you know. Her name meant Time's Song. And that's how you will save her." She paused, looking at the Timelords' confused faces, and Jack's slightly lost expression, before continuing.

"The future is shaped by the past as the past is changed by the future. Blysse can live where now she has died only by her own hand."

"That's not possible," Jack snapped, "Blysse is dead!" Eyphah didn't respond, continuing to fade out slowly. Jack glanced at the Doctor. "She's dead," he repeated. But there was no response from any. River's quiet sobs were the only sound to travel through the air for a long moment.

Then the Doctor looked up. "She's dead..." He spoke softly, but his eyes showed no sadness, where before there had been heartbreak. Jack backed away a little, wondering if the Doctor had finally lost it. Eyphah's receding ghost simply smiled, then vanished completely.

River spoke up, her anger lancing through her tears. "Yes of course she's dead; your immortal friend SHOT HER!" She lurched to her feet, gun trained at Jack's chest. Her eyes were dark and cold as they met Jack's own. He raised his arms in defeat, quickly determining that this was no rage that could be talked down. Jack simply closed his eyes and waited for his already ruined shirt to take another bullet.

But the shot never came.

He opened his eyes. River hadn't moved, nor had the anger and hurt in her eyes receded, and her finger still lay firmly on the trigger. The difference was that the Doctor had placed his hand on her arm.

"River," he said softly. His voice was filled with so much raw emotion that Jack found himself startled. It was as if the Doctor had let all his barriers fall down. Although he appeared normal, his voice spoke volumes of sadness, grief, loss, age and - of all things - hope. It was a queer mix.

"I know what to do." The Doctor said no more than this, but it was enough. River relaxed, her grief giving way to a spark of hope. Jack allowed himself to relax as the immediate threat was removed.

"What." It was more of a statement than a question. Rucker's hard lenses eyes never left Jack's as she addressed her husband. He took her hand gently. Her eyes widened. "You don't mean- ?"

The Doctor nodded slowly. There was a look of fear sparkling in the back of his eyes, almost invisible - but definitely present. It was this, far more than River's gun, which made Jack's breath truly catch in his throat. "What's going on?" He asked quietly. He was never given an answer.

The Doctor crouched by his daughter gently. River was already there, holding Blysse's head in her lap once again. Jack approached them moments later. "Anything I can do?" He asked.

"Yes," it was River who spoke, "Hold down her arms and legs. This should be fine, but I want thou in hand in case things spiral out of control."

Jack glanced at the Doctor, who nodded. "Do as she says." Jack raised an eyebrow and did as he was told.

It was now that the Doctor explained, as River prepared her daughter's lifeless form. "You see," he began, "Eyphah was right that Blysse's name means Time's Song. She was not named that for no reason. When she was a baby, before we had named her, there was an... Incident."

Here the Doctor flashed Jack a small, twisted smile. "I caused a little... Problem in Time. Or will cause, I'm not sure. Anyway, Blysse was a tiny little thing, but when she saw what had happened... She sang, Jack. She sang the song of the Universe, and mixed it with Time itself."

Jack raised both eyebrows as far as they would go. "She sang?" He asked incredulously. He'd heard of this in the Time Agency, such a long time ago - or away, depending on how you thought about it - but never taken it seriously. "But Cantus Tempus is a myth!"

River smiled sadly. "Cantus Tempus is our daughter." She stroked the side of Blysse's face softly. "She's ready."

The Doctor nodded. Not a breath slipped past the tight lips of the group as he closed his eyes and focused his mind. Gently, not wanting to cause any damage, he exhaled, sending his consciousness out with his breath.

His conscience swirled like the starlight in Van Gough's painting. He gently reached out towards his daughter, seeping slowly into her mind.

He shivered once there. She was gone, leaving an empty shell behind. It was like walking into the house of a loved one, but they had long since left and the place was cold, dark, abandoned and beginning to rot. Except the loved one had left everything as if they were simply popping outside to pick up the milk.

He walked, ghostly and intangible, through the remnants of his daughter, searching through countless memories for the Song. He saw her life with her shadow soldiers; the life Eyphah had given her. And then he saw her life from before that; memories he shared, viewed from a different perspective. There were no barriers in her dormant mind, but everywhere there were reminders that she was gone.

Every step of his ghostwalk got harder as the Doctor approached what he sought. Everywhere, in every dark corner of this dormant mind, was a single memory being repeated. The memory of Eyphah's blue form moving away as Death claimed Blysse. It was enough to chill his old bones the first time he saw it, but having seen it so often, it now cut into him like a sharp knife every time he saw it play out. To watch your daughter die was terrible. To share her memory of death, the Doctor reasoned, was worse.

His thought-form kept moving, then finally found what he was looking for. The Song stood out. Whilst everything else within Blysse's mind was cold and beginning to fade to grey, the Song stood bright, warm and vivid. The Doctor approached it with care. His thought-form stretched out a hand - was it a hand if it was just a thought? - and touched the surface of the Song.

River jumped in surprise as the Doctor's eyes suddenly opened. The ancient orbs stared at her as he said simply "I've awoken the Song." River looked down at her daughter's peaceful, pale face. She but the inside of her lip and prepared herself. The tension in the air, which could have been cut with even a blunt piece of plastic cutlery, rose to a whole new level as the dead body of her daughter moved.

Blysse's green eyes sparkled suddenly. Her entire being began to glow softly with pure white light, increasing in intensity to the point at which the two Timelords and the Immortal had to cover their eyes. Her cold, blue lips slid open and, through the body of a dead child, Time began to Sing.

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_Ummm... Yeah. It all went a bit mad here. This has changed so much from my original idea, but the ending line has been in my head since the start. More still to come~_


	28. Chapter 27: Time's Song

_Here it is at last; the final Chapter! After this there is only the epilogue.  
Enjoy~_

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**Chapter 27: Time's Song**

The Song of Time rose around the group of beings that sat on Jideofor. The Human-TimeLord with her blonde curls and a TimeLord soul. The last true TimeLord with his aching soul drenched in the life blood of his own race. The Human who had become immortal through the touch of a Rose. And the Ginger child - nay, a woman by her age - the Carrier of the Song.

The Song arched into Space and Time, echoing and rebounding, using Dark Matter and Energy to travel. The very essence of Time was carried in the Song's complex tune and rhythm. If one listened closely, the four-beat of a TimeLord heart could be heard, melding with an intense melody of sadness, joy, jealousy - all emotions that ever were or would be, combined. The raw power of Time given a voice. Somewhere, the Song reached the Infinite Schism and the Sisters of Infinity. The Sisters closed their eyes and sang with many voices as they heard the Song. The Schism shook violently as Untempered Time was touched by Time's Own Power in the form of the Song.

Soon all of existence was filled by Time's Song. The tune carried everywhere in this reality, and as it did so, it began to fold in on itself. Slowly but surely, the relative Future for those on Jideofor began to collapse, eaten away by the icy heat of the notes of the Song. Then the Song took the present, and some of the Past. The Song swelled, soaring towards an incredible conclusion. Then, with one final, shattering chord that spoke more volumes than any other part of the incredible piece, the Song ended, fading into the silence that usually filled Space.

The Doctor awoke to find his head resting upon the console. He leapt to his feet, desperately trying not to look like he had been asleep. He caught a glimpse of himself in the polished surface of the TARDIS. "You're getting old..." He said quietly to himself.

Slender arms wrapped around his waist from behind. He felt River's warm breath on his cheek. "Hello Sweetie..." He smiled softly, turning in her arms to face his wife before wrapping her in his.

They stood, content in each other's company, for some short time. Both secretly wiping the signs of recent sleep from their eyes when the other wouldn't notice. Then the sound of padding footsteps was heard and they turned to see a nine-year-old girl with bright ginger hair walk in to the control room. She was rubbing her eyes sleepily, dragging a ragged blanket behind her.

"I had a bad dream..." She said softly, her young voice not betraying the power her little form hid. For she was Blysse S., as her blanket proudly showed in neat embroidered letters. Cantus Tempus.

Her parents shared a look - that they had all had the same dream was suddenly not only possible but confirmed with this one glance. That it had not been a dream, but rather another reality, was also confirmed between the eyes of the Doctor and his wife.

But that was a battle for another day.

Jack awoke lying on the sofa in the new Cardiff base. He sat up groggily, head in his hands. His mouth felt unnaturally dry, but all physical input was secondary as he turned over his thoughts. That was no dream, he realised at length.

His musings were interrupted as a dark haired woman sat beside him. She held out a cup of steaming coffee to him. "Don't worry," she said in a slight Welsh accent as he took the mug, "Archie made it, not Mum. Drinking it won't kill you. But not drinking it might."

Jack smirked and raised the mug to his lips, nodding in through the glass wall of the greenhouse at Archie where the young man worked. He received a warning glare and gulped down the scalding drink quickly. The glare gave way to a smile.

Jack allowed his eyes to wander across his team. Archie working on alien plants, Gwen busy typing something into a computer whilst chewing on a biscuit, greying hair done up in a clip to keep it out of her face as she worked. And, of course, the woman next to him, leaning her head gently on his shoulder. His thoughts ran the memory of another time over one more time, then let it go. He put the memories away in the back of his mind and wrapped an arm around the dark haired woman beside him. Those memories could wait for another day.


	29. Epilogue: Across Time

_Here is the Epilogue~ I will remove all my A/N in about a week.  
Enjoy~_

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**Epilogue: Across Time**

The dark blue fabric rippled in a faint breeze and made a soft sound as it ran across the white, shot-through with tiger's eye, surface of the planet. A long, pointed hand with only four digits curled up on the material, pulling the long robe out of the way to allow the wearer to crouch down.

A short, angular bob of white hair with long side fringes was blown in the slight breeze. It fell across the face, brushed out of shimmering blue eyes by pointed fingers of the same hue. These fingers then went to stroke the loose curls of hair that lay spread across the stone ground before the crouched being. A long, dark tongue darted across perfectly white teeth and wet the blue lips as the owner prepared to speak. The figure held themself with a regal posture, but the smile that split across those same lips was feral, almost predatory, in nature, like a hunter who discovers their prey has already fallen.

The prey lay upon the ground, hair splayed out - the same hair in which blue fingers played idly. The fallen figure - of the same gender as the blue being - was human in appearance. They had been re-dressed, however, now wearing a cloak that matched that of the alien being.

Eyphah licked her dried-out lips once again before whispered softly; "Awaken and arise,"

And Blysse S. rose from where she lay upon the planet's pristine surface, taking the pointed blue hand she was proffered into her own.

**HERE ENDS TIME'S SONG**

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_Thank you all for reading my story! I hope you enjoyed it! This is the first fiction I have ever finished! I am going to write a sequel and two prequels to this story when I have the time, so watch out for those. Thank you especially to those of you who have read this story since the very beginning, notably bitbyacullen and JackieStars. Thank you to all reviewers and everyone who has helped this story.  
I couldn't have done it without you.  
~Marchonea_


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